Sarah Palin boosts "Mom's awakening'

Sarah Palin thrilled a high-powered mostly female crowd of activists and fundraisers Friday morning in Washington with a speech, touting a “mom awakening” in America “with women standing up and saying, ‘no, we don’t like where things are going.’”

Palin spoke to the Susan B. Anthony List’s fundraising breakfast — praising the women there as “mama grizzlies”— before flying to South Carolina to throw her weight behind one of the GOP’s most promising young women candidates — state Rep. Nikki Haley, who is running for that state's gubernatorial seat.

For the many conservative women, Palin is the standard-bearer for what the former Alaska governor sees as a new feminism led by “gun-toting, pro-life moms.”

Soon after walking on the stage, Palin tried to quiet the crowd by thanking her many “sisters” in the audience — who included Colorado Senate candidate Jane Norton, Tennessee House candidate Robin Smith and Pam Bondi, a Republican candidate for attorney general in Florida.

The crowd was a who’s who of Washington’s pro-life power elite, assembled by SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser — including Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa), Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and John Culberson (R-Texas).

Spotted in the room was Washington attorney John Coale, the husband of Fox News host Greta Van Susteren — both of whom have been questioned for their ties to Palin by POLITICO and other outlets.

“I’m here with Greta, not for, well, you know,” Coale told POLITICO during a short discussion at the edge of the room.

Palin repeatedly pushed her theme that the GOP’s women are the real source of energy and innovation in the party.

“Washington, you don’t want to mess with the moms rising up,” Palin said. “If you thought pit bulls were tough then you don’t want to mess with the mama grizzlies, a lot of whom are in this room.”

Palin declared the pro-life feminist movement to be on the march and at the forefront of what she believes can be a new GOP power structure.

“It’s an emerging conservative feminist identity. For a long time when people thought of feminists, they thought of some faculty lounge at an East Coast women’s college,” Palin said. “Our pro-woman sisterhood is telling young women that they are strong enough to handle an unplanned pregnancy and give their children life in addition to pursuing a career and pursuing and education.