Rick Santorum had a Boise crowd in his hands Tuesday, affirming his faith, ripping his GOP opponents and President Obama and setting high stakes.

“We have a duty to leave this country better than we found it,” Santorum said. “I believe that if we are unsuccessful in this election that we will have failed in that duty and it will have horrendous consequences. ...It will be the end of the great experiment in the order of liberty and freedom.”

Santorum filled the 1,300-seat auditorium and over 1,000 more listened in the Capital High gym. The crowd was a big part of the event — booing John McCain, calling Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “traitor!” and reminding Santorum American revolutionaries had more than muskets.

“And God!” said a voice from the crowd, prompting one of a dozen standing ovations during Santorum’s 75 minutes on stage.

“Well,” replied Santorum, “They believed. They believed and they went out and did extraordinary things.”

Santorum said Obama is following the “FDR playbook,” determined to succor public dependency on government.

“We are reaching a tipping point, folks, when those who pay are the minority and those who receive are the majority. Freedom in an election process is not something people will care about. They’ll care about whether they get their piece.”

Wearing his signature sweater vest, jeans and worn cowboy boots, Santorum waved a copy of the Constitution, which he called “the operator’s manual of America.”
But he said many Americans neglect another founding document — the Declaration of Independence.

Santorum began reciting, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their —” but paused for the crowd to shout “Creator!” — before continuing, “with certain unalienable rights.”
“That is who we are, that’s where our rights come from,” he said, eliciting “Bless the Lord!” from the audience.

Santorum said the Obama administration believes it has the right to force the Catholic church to hire women priests. “They’re going to fight because they believe their secular values should be imposed on people of faith.”
He added, “Don’t you see how they see you? How they look down their nose at the average Americans. These elite snobs!”

Santorum said he’s happy to be called the “social conservative in the race” but that he talks about all the issues.

Without naming them, Santorum dug at Mitt Romney for his Massachusetts top-down government health plan and Newt Gingrich for his former belief in human-caused global climate change.

He noted his longtime call of alarm about the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, saying the Cold War arms race that checked the Soviet Union won’t work with the mullahs.

“Mutually assured destruction worked. Why? Because they didn’t want to die. Because when atheists die, that’s it. Or, maybe better stated, they think that’s it.”

But in Iran, “They believe these end of times (are) a good thing for them, that’s the time they will conquer the world and rule it for Allah. ...Bringing about Armageddon for them is not a deterrent. It is an inducement.”

During a 28-minute question-and-answer session with the audience, Santorum said he would separate the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals from Idaho and other western states, leaving it to cover only California. He also said he would sell millions of acres of federal lands.

His first questioner didn’t have a question at all. She told Santorum, “I love you with all my heart. I’ve been praying for you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

Another invited him back after he becomes president.

“If this is the reception I’m gonna get,” he said. “I’ll definitely come back.”

6:10 P.M. POSTING

The line started forming three hours early for former Sen. Rick Santorum's rally at Boise's Capital High School Tuesday afternoon and the crowd prompted school officials to open the 4,800-seat gym for overflow.

Doors opened at 6 p.m. and by 6:10 p.m., the school's 1,290-seat auditorium was nearly full. The event is to begin at 7 p.m.

The crowd included conservatives drawn to Santorum as an alternative to longtime front-runner Mitt Romney.

"I'm getting more committed to this man (Santorum)," said Jenean Hatch of Boise, who arrived about 5:30 p.m. "He has impressed me, he's come up fast, and I like what I'm hearing and saying."

Hatch said she had been leaning toward Newt Gingrich, but is drawn to Santorum as a better prospect to upset Romney's once-presumed drive to the presidential nomination.

Hatch said Santorum's support of Israel is key, drawing out a Star of David hanging on a chain around her neck. "I'm conservative, and, to be honest, I'm for people that support Israel."

Of Romney's views on Israel, she said, "Not clear enough."

Cliff Morgan of Payette said he's long backed conservatives, including three-time former GOP candidate Alan Keyes, who he saw speak in Boise.

Of Santorum, Morgan said, "He's pro-life and pro-America."

Morgan said he hopes to get to ask Santorum a question from one of the two mikes set up in the aisles. "I want to know what he's going to do to restore the Constitution."

Asked to elaborate, Morgan said, "The Justice Department not doing their job, and a lot of these presidential orders. There's just so much."

Jerry Manter and his wife Michele Ouellette of Boise said they are undecided.

"We're open-minded and want to hear what he has to say," Manter said, congratulating the state GOP for establishing the March 6 caucus that drew Santorum to both Coeur d'Alene and Boise Tuesday. Romney will raise money and campaign in Boise Friday.

"It's fun to be part of the process and exciting to be here to see a candidate live," said Ouellette, a contract employee at Hewlett Packard. "We've been watching the debates but it's a different vibe to here in person."

Also on hand was Idaho Treasurer Ron Crane, who said he would be endorsing Santorum during the rally. Crane will become the first major Idaho elected official to endorse any candidate but Romney. Gov. Butch Otter, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch and U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson are all with Romney. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo and U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador have yet to make an endorsement. Romney also has more than 30 Idaho lawmakers on board.