COEUR d'ALENE — If a country's government says it establishes people's rights, and not God, Rick Santorum asked, where does it end up?

"The French Revolution. Not the American Revolution," the would-be presidential candidate said on Tuesday at the Hagadone Event Center.

That's what the president should understand, he said, garnering a mess of applause. That the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to give citizens "the rights given to you by God."

Labeled by polls as the leading presidential hopeful for the Republican party, Santorum dropped into Coeur d'Alene Tuesday afternoon to push his platform, leaving no room for doubt of his conservative social values and commitment to restricted spending and small government.

"This is a race about the economy," Santorum told the room packed with more than 500 listeners, along with dozens of journalists crowded behind the back rows. "But ultimately it is about the role of government in your lives."

The noon event - open to the first several hundred people - was full by late morning, with a long line of cars turned away from the venue. Inside, the center was crammed with primarily Republican supporters from across North Idaho and Eastern Washington.

The general audience attitude toward the former Pennsylvania senator and father of seven was giddy and boisterous, supporting Santorum's statements with cheers, whistles and standing ovations.

"I'm very impressed he chose to come to Idaho. That's one reason I chose to come out," said Sheila Wood, who drove 40 miles from the Silver Valley. "So few candidates come to Coeur d'Alene, maybe Boise, but not Coeur d'Alene. I think he wants to unite with the common man."

Hungry for Idaho's 32 delegates who will be sent to the Republican National Convention after the caucus on March 6, Santorum spoke little of the other Republicans chasing the nomination, instead lambasting the Obama administration's recent decisions.

He painted the current president as an elitist with no confidence that the public can take care of itself.

"I suspect if Barack Obama and his (administration) had been around in 1776, we would have had a declaration of dependence, and have an elite few in charge," Santorum said.

He also vowed to work with Congress to halt funding for Obama's new health care initiative, which he derided as an overreach of federal power.

"The government will have control over something it's longed to have control over - your life and your health," he said.

Santorum's replacement measure "is not going to be called Santorum-Care. It will be called you-care," he added, promising more citizen control of their own insurance plans.

The attorney assured his leadership would reflect people's God-given rights, which he said the founding fathers intended. He recited the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, pausing to allow the audience to fill in the word "creator" in the second sentence.

"No other government has written as the foundation of a society or a government those words. Not since," he said.

He promised to slash the country's spending by turning Medicare and Medicaid over to the states. More savings would come from reducing Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age, he said, noting that life expectancy has risen and that older populations are generally self-sufficient.

"What group has the largest accumulation of assets in America?" Santorum asked, waiting for the crowd to collectively respond: "Seniors."

Tax reduction for manufacturers would also top his list.

Beefing up security at the country's southern border would help deter terrorism, he said, and he promised to focus attention on "profiling the folks most likely to do us harm in this country," garnering raucous cheers and applause.

The crowd also gave a standing ovation when Santorum reaffirmed his stance on abortion, stating "I don't believe life begins at conception. I know life begins at conception."

Santorum was swarmed afterward by smiling folks offering hugs and seeking photo opps.

Wood said she believes the politician's platform could address issues in her home of Shoshone County, like regulations on the mining industry.

"He's for reducing regulations on businesses so we can be more productive," Wood noted.

Newman Lake, Wash., resident Teresa Roth, who like Santorum is Catholic and has homeschooled her kids, brought along her five children to meet the politician she feels reflects her own values.

"I'm still shocked and amazed a politician like this even exists," Roth said. "I think he'll be president, and I figured this would be the only chance they'll get to meet him."

Jules Folnagy, a Coeur d'Alene resident who is politically independent, attended to hear what the politician had to say.

He disliked Santorum describing environmentalists as the enemy, he said, and was dubious of the politician's goal to cut entitlement funds.

"A lot of people have worked their entire lives putting money into Social Security," Folnagy said. "They shouldn't have that cut back."

Answering media questions afterward, Santorum said he wouldn't be surprised if he can raise $4 million in the next seven days.

"This is going to have a big impact," he said. "People get energized from these events."