Washington (CNN) - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hit the campaign trail Friday, delivering the keynote address at a fundraiser for a prominent anti-abortion group supporting socially conservative women running for office in the upcoming midterm elections.
"All across this country, women are standing up and speaking out for commonsense solutions," Palin said at the Susan B. Anthony List Celebration of Life Breakfast. They are forming a "new conservative feminist movement" that will help make "government work again for us," she said.
The Susan B. Anthony List describes itself on its website as part of the "nerve center of the pro-life movement and political process." In 2008, the group founded "Team Sarah," a coalition of women supporting Palin's vice presidential bid.
During her speech, Palin ripped abortion rights opponents in the Democratic Party who "promised to hold firm" during the health care debate, but ultimately backed "the most pro-abortion president who ever occupied the White House."
"We won't forget," she promised. "Elections have consequences."
Watch: Palin praises 'mama grizzly' activists
Palin mentioned, among other things, her daughter Bristol's decision not to have an abortion after becoming pregnant at age 17. "It was an embarrassing time for her," Palin told the audience. But "choosing life was the right road."
Palin said national media coverage of the pregnancy "kind of made it rough" on Bristol and sent a not-too-subtle message to other young women that it's easier to choose to have an abortion.
Turning to other policy disputes, the former governor slammed the Obama administration's fiscal program, declaring that "these policies coming out of D.C. right now" are putting the country on the road to "national insolvency."
She praised the conservative Tea Party movement, calling it a "movement of the people" that the media has unfairly characterized as a group of violent racists. "This awakening is very, very healthy," she declared.
Palin's speech was part of a midterm campaign swing that is scheduled to take her to North Carolina on Friday to address a National Rifle Association meeting. In addition, she will travel South Carolina to endorse GOP state Rep. Nikki Haley for governor. The state's scandal-tarred Republican governor, Mark Sanford, is term-limited and will leave office in January.
"It is a tremendous honor to receive Gov. Palin's endorsement," Haley said in a statement released Thursday. "Sarah Palin has energized the conservative movement like few others in our generation."
Palin has also endorsed, among others, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in California's GOP Senate primary.
The former governor is set to release a new book in November - "America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag." Her first book, "Going Rogue," was national bestseller.
Palin has become one of the GOP's biggest stars since being tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate during the 2008 presidential race. In addition to being an author, Palin has become a sought-after speaker and a contributor on Fox News.
Updated: 11:55 a.m.
– CNN's Alan Silverleib, Peter Hamby and Martina Stewart contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Sarah Palin does not represent me nor does she represent any thinking woman.
Why is she still being addressed as "Gov Palin" when she quit that gig months and months ago? I didn't think former governors retained the honorific as former Presidents do.
Aside from that, why don't all you Palin supporters look up the term Dominionist? And why doesn't Palin just come out and say that that's what she is, in plain terms? It's clear to anyone who pays attention with more than two or three brain cells to anything she says, and it's a BAD thing for this country. It will reduce freedoms for no good reason, and consign millions of us to second-class status, in direct opposition to the clearly stated goals of the Constitution. This woman is dangerous, and one can only hope that people don't forget how shallow and dumbed-down her understanding of complicated issues is, and vote accordingly for whoever runs against her or whoever she endorses.
Palin is out of the loop. she is inexpereanced and shouldnt be alowed in office. abortion is a right let the girl pick what she wants to do. i am not saying that its right but it is still there bodt and is there chose if they wont to do that or not. "palin you r not fit to help the usa"
What's with this "most pro-abortion president who ever occupied the White House". She just makes stuff up. Point me to one piece of legislation he has put forth to prove this. You can't.
Yes, elections have consenquences. I think you learned that, "Drill baby, drill"!
The right have been calling President Obama the most pro abortion president in history for a while now. One question: WHY?!?!? He hasn't made a single move regarding abortion or gun control, and the right have tried to use both of those issues against him. Cheap political points scored, I suppose. Maybe he is super prochoice, but he hasn't made any actions furthing that cause.
as much as I don't care for Mrs. Palin, I don't begrudge her the right to do what possibly every American wants to do...make all the money they can while they can! But it would really be nice if Sarah would take some of her millions and give back to the folks that make her so popular. Why not have a foundation for special needs kids like her son Trig? It just seems now it's all about Sarah and her minions are either too blind to see that or they just don't care because she's "just like them". The far right is using her to unite their radical base and she's doing it. They're using each other and they really DESERVE each other.
I find it incredibly ironic that Palin, who thinks she knows what some mythical deity wants for this world, would be the keynote speaker for an organization named for the woman who said the following:
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."
Considering the regressive rhetoric coming from this event, I feel the Susan B. Anthony List should change its name.
what do you mean that she is out of the loop. you sir are out of the loop. you are not fit to be pokeing fun at miss Palin. you just need to keep to your self. Abortion is bad and should not be alowed.
Don't forget that she has said she is against all abortion, even in the case of rape. Now that's alarming to me. It's also amazing to me that the right wingers on this issue are so often also oppose real, informative sex education in the schools, which could help decrease the real problem, which is unwanted preganancies. These single-issue voters will often vote into office someone who is otherwise the absolutely wrong person on all of the other issues of the day, just based on their abortion stance. But if you really get down to it, when it comes to whole big picture on social issues, the Democratic point of view I often find more "Christian" than that of the right wingers.
Instead of "going rogue" why don't you give us all a break and try "going away".
"It is a tremendous honor to receive Gov. Palin's endorsement"
Umm, she's not a governor any more. She quit, remember?
Go Sarah – Continue to speak out ! Yes, I will buy your second book.
There goes Palin again..sticking her nose into my personal business.
You BETCHA we will remember demorats and any republicans who voted to support the current 1 term occupant of the White House.
Hey Sarah, you do like to impose your beliefs/feelings to others. How do you see it them imposing theirs to you!
Palin is a moron and now she presumes to speak for American women? What a fool....
Shrill, Baby, Shrill.
Geeze, Sarah, I can't wait for the "abortion police" to go after women and their doctors. Gotta love that government control, you betcha.
"We won't forget," she promised. "Elections have consequences."
Is that a threat? Ughh seriously she needs to go away!
Elections do have consequences.....and Haley and Fiorina will find out that by having this ineept woman supporting them will cost them their elections........Palin is a Hate filled woman with a chip on her shoulder.......and because Obama and Biden bet the pants off of McCain and Palin she goes around degrading this President and the democrats every chance she has because she has a mouth full of SOUR GRAPES.....you can hear it in her voice, in her speeches every time she opens her mouth......
She is helping form a "new Conservative Feminist Movement"? That woman and her ilk wouldn't know a feminist, a TRUE feminist, if they met one. Women like her make me shake my head and wonder sadly why we began the fight in earnest so many decades ago. Surely it wasn't to perpetuate the Barbie Doll mentality of Ms. Palin and those like her? Does she not understand that without the true feminists at the barricades she would never have been able to run for high elective office or have the very public persona that she enjoys today?
Sarah what about the abortion rights opponents in your own party? How do you feel about them?
Your a political hack of the first order. You say you want less government but you want to regulate women's bodies. You dolt you just do not not get it sister.
Palin is such a hypocrate! When it was announced that her daughter
Bristol was pregnant, Palin said that they CHOSE to have the baby.
Yet, she doesn't want others to have the right to choose. While
abortion is a poor substitute for birth control, there will always be
abortion. It can either be legal and safe or we can go back to coat-hangers and-possible death.
Hmmmm she is for accross the board tax cuts with gov spending cuts.She wants people to be able to keep more of their hard earned money not give it to gov to plunder.I am thinking maybe she is not so stupid after all.She stepped down in AK.Given her choices stay on and be bankrupted by DNC hacks filing bogus ethics complaints.Or going out and earning millions to perhaps help support a future run for the WH.I think she is a lot smarter than most people here think she is.
Simple minds see the world in simple terms but the world is not simple. You can be pro-life and pro-choice. You can be anti-war and still fight to defend your country. You can realize that this country is not about taking away freedom but protecting it. Nobody should be able to force you to have surgery if you have cancer, Nobody should be able to force you to continue living with terminal pain when you are ready to die. Nobody should tell you what you can do with your own body. It's yours and yours alone. A body without choice is a simulacrum.