Morgan Freeman Courts Controversy by Calling Tea Party Racist

Morgan Freeman has stirred a controversy by calling the Tea Party racist for having an anti-Obama agenda based on his skin color.

During the CNN show Piers Morgan Tonight, Invictus actor said Tea Party's agenda was to screw the country, we're going to do whatever we can to get this black man out of here.

It is a racist thing, the Oscar winning actor said.

Freeman said the rise of the Tea Party was disturbing and It just shows the weak dark underside of America. We're supposed to be better than that. We really are. That's why all those people were in tears when Obama was elected President. 'Ah look at what we are-this is America.' Then it just sort of started turning because these people surfaced-like stirring up muddy water.

He expressed disappointment that Obama didn't act aggressive in confronting his Tea Party critics. He was trying to hold on to his own promise that he would be President of all the people, Freeman said.

However, political commentators and the public weren't happy with the remarks even though there appeared to be a section which applauded Freeman for opening up.

John Podhoretz, a neoconservative columnist for the New York Post, tweeted:

Actor Adam Baldwin, a registered voter with the Democratic Party since 1980, who terms himself a small government conservative libertarian tweeted:

Todd Starnes, reporter and anchor for Fox News Radio, tweeted:

Actor Kal Penn, who was an advocate for Obama's presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008 and a member of Obama's National Arts Policy Committee, tweeted:

Freeman's comments attracted some cheers from several quarters with some arguing that the Tea Party has always been racist, though popular commentators and celebrities have refrained from doing so.

Earlier, Black conservatives had expressed concerns about the Tea Party's racial inclusiveness. Brandon Brice, a primary black speaker at a tax-day Tea Party rally, said he was worried about the movement, noting that, It's strayed away from the message of wasteful spending and Washington not listening to its constituents and it's become more of this rally of hate.