Obama Rallies Idaho Crowd

Barack Obama assured Western voters Saturday he believes in Jesus as well as the rights of gun owners. The size of the crowd and his mention of God were notable in Idaho, one of the smaller prizes among the 22 states holding Democratic presidential campaign contests on Super Tuesday. Idaho's caucuses offer 18 Democratic delegates to the national convention.

Obama warned people about hoax e-mails they may get saying he's secretly a Muslim who might want to destroy the United States, and urged those at the rally not to believe everything they hear about him.

"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," the Illinois senator told more than 10,000 people packed into Boise State's basketball arena. He is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

"We've heard the usual sort of smear campaigns. I don't know if they've trickled up to Iowa," Obama said to laughter from the crowed, then quickly corrected himself. "Idaho. I know they were in Iowa."They send out these e-mails saying, `You know Obama, he's a Muslim and he doesn't pledge allegiance to the flag,'" he said. "Don't try to just insult not just me but people of the Islamic faith by playing on people's fears. I know who I am."

And then there are people who say, `Well, he doesn't believe in the Second Amendment,' even though I come from a state _ we've got a lot of hunters in downstate Illinois. And I have no intention of taking away folks' guns."

Obama does support gun control and has a record of voting for it in the Illinois Senate. He backed limiting handgun purchases to one a month, but he made no attempts to ban them. Today, he stands by his support for controls while trying to reassure hunters that he has no interest in interfering with their access to firearms.