Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman gave voice to a concern expressed privately by some of President Obama's supporters: that many Republican attacks on him are rooted in the fact he is the nation's first African-American president.

In a sense, Freeman told CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, the fact of Obama's presidency has made racism worse.

According to Freeman, some conservative critics say, "We're going to do whatever we can get to get this black man outta here."

Freeman said "it is a racist thing," even though he pointed out that conservative Republicans also ran aggressively -- and unsuccessfully -- against President Bill Clinton.

"They're not going to get rid of Obama either," Freeman said. "I think they're shooting themselves in the head."

Freeman bemoaned the influence of the Tea Party: