The link is to an interview with a Tea Party spokesperson in South Carolina, and the Tea Party is the epitome of Small Government rhetoric, right?

Ms. Martin said that although Mr. Gingrich “is not the perfect candidate,” she believes many Tea Party members have decided to coalesce support around the former Speaker.

I think they were definitely sending a message against Mitt Romney.  And I think they were saying, ‘Look, we’ve got to have somebody who can debate the president and this is who we think can do it.’   Newt is not perfect.  But he’s a warrior.  Look, his whole staff left him practically and he just won South Carolina.

Ms. Martin was careful to say that the Tea Party Patriot leadership has voted not to endorse any particular candidate during the primary.   She did, however, state that the Tea Party is a powerful force in Florida and will play a role in the outcome of next week’s primary in that state, particularly for Mr. Gingrich who has less financial resources than Mr. Romney and will therefore need to rely on grassroots support.

But the picture is really more complicated than that. At the Federal level, the attack against Obama is often fueled with rhetoric about shrinking government, and Obama ids being blamed for being all about big invasive government. This is not true, but that is the rhetoric.

However, the real big invasive government moves are happening at the State level all across the country.We have seen that with efforts to limit bargaining rights, voter ID bills that cost an enormous amount and solve no existing problem, and all the pushes to limit reproductive rights.

Thus, the whole of the GOP strategy is to curtail and hinder civil rights at the State level, and cripple government oversight of big business at the Federal level. Growing an invasive government on the one hand, while shrinking it at the other. In both cases, the American people actually lose.

via » Tea Party Patriot Leader: Newt Win Is Win for Tea Party – Big Government.