A day after she was booted from her Capitol office, Assembly Member Nicole Parra showed no signs of backing off her demand that lawmakers approve a water bond before she votes on the state budget, now 50 days late.

During a 30-minute appearance on Fresno conservative talk station KMJ-AM 580, Parra accused Assembly Speaker Karen Bass of getting "wrong advice" on her decision to send Parra packing to an office across the street.

"This was a really bad move, whoever gave her advice, because she is a good person," Parra, D-Hanford, told host Ray Appleton. "I don't who that was, but I would have fired them."

Democrats say Bass made the decision alone.

Parra said that if Bass calls her back to the Capitol, she won't come.

"I'm not going to come crawling back. I'm not going to make a deal to crawl back. I'm there and I'm going to make the best of it."

The showdown has made Parra a bit of a hero in her district, where farmers have long pushed for state money dams. On KMJ, caller after caller praised her.

"We just can't thank you enough for standing up and doing what we all need," said "Larry" from Tulare.

Then there was this from Fresno County Supervisor Bob Waterston: "Nicole, you're a rock star. I love you. And just keep it up."

When Appleton asked if Parra would "pull a Joe Lieberman and re-register as an Independent" she did not rule it out. She also hinted at a run for Congress some day, though her immediate plans are to become a lobbyist when she terms out at the end of the year.

It was on the Appleton show months ago that Parra's troubles with her own party started.
In an appearance last February, she heaped praise on Danny Gilmore, the Republican candidate to fill her seat. Gilmore is running against Democrat Fran Florez, mother of state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, a longtime Parra rival.

On Tuesday, Parra hinted at officially endorsing Gilmore: "We'll see what the future holds there, he's a great guy."

As for Dean Florez, he said Parra's water stand is little more than "vote trading."

"It may be fun politics for her, and she may get a personal boost from it, but it doesn't move the issue, it just turns people off," he said in an email. "If she can hold up the budget over this issue, what stops others from holding up the budget for an issue that could damage the Valley in the future? That's always the concern."

And where are the water talks right now?

Assembly Democrats are preparing a counter-proposal to the $9.3 billion bond measure floated by Gov. Schwarzenegger. But time is running out to get something on the Nov. 4 ballot and Republicans are skeptical that the Democratic plan will guarantee the GOP's top priority -- money for dams.