Utah's two House Democrats are just about in the center of the political spectrum, but Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, is beyond "certifiably conservative," beyond "rock-ribbed right" and is part of the "far right."
That's according to Roll Call, a twice-weekly newspaper that covers Congress. It ranked the 434 current House members in order across the political spectrum from liberal to conservative.Hansen ended up No. 409 - meaning only 25 members (all Republicans) are more conservative.
The newspaper's chart - spread over six pages - said that puts Hansen somewhere between Charlton Heston and Rush Limbaugh on the political spectrum.
Meanwhile, Rep. Bill Orton, D-Utah, finished at No. 254 - or what the newspaper called "a tad right of center."
It said that ideologically, that's about where George Bush was in 1980. (It moved Bush further right in 1988 and 1992). Orton was more conservative than all but 15 Democrats (and 165 Republicans). More liberal than him were 243 Democrats, nine Republicans and one socialist.
Rep. Karen Shepherd, D-Utah, finished at No. 239, or what the newspaper called "a tad left of center." It didn't have any big-name Democratic leaders or celebrities to compare that to - all were much further to the left.
While Shepherd is usually seen as a liberal in Utah, Roll Call rated her more conservative than all but 25 other Democrats.