i remember their call--sounds like curtsy-eh or pursie hay...

the do not live west of the rackies as far as i know

although i have heard of someone in a remote southern calif.
canyon introducing some form the mid-west, and rumor has it
that there is an isolated population of these birds from this.

this from a report on feral and exotic birds in California:

Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinali s).--Comaion, as a small breeding population in riparian thicket on both sides of the San Gabriel River in the Whittier Narrows area (including especially the Nature Preserve of the County of Los Angeles), near South E1 Monte, California. According to Grinnell and Miller (1944) Cardinals of various races have been repeatedly introduced into southern California beginning in 1880. The present self- sustaining population was first reported by Henderson (1925) and its probably mixed racial origin discussed by Michener and Michener (1938). A brief study of the birds was undertaken by Koay-Chee Lee, a student at Occidental College in spring, 1972. From Lee's studies, the estimated population of breeding birds seemed no more than 20 pairs in a total area comprising approximately 200 acres. The population seems to be stable in recent years. Some movements in and out of the breeding zone have been reported by several observers, but apparent movements may represent varying degrees of secretiveness and vocalization by the birds. Nesting activity begins in April and all nests with eggs have been found in May. The nesting habitat and the habits of tile birds bear a strong resemblance to those of the species in the midwestern United States, according to my observations. Observations of individual Cardinals are annually made elsewhere in the Los Angeles basin, especially in suburban areas adjacent to those occupied by the breeders, suggesting that these sightings represent stragglers from the established population.