Herman Cain is hitting back at Morgan Freeman for calling the Tea Party racist.

The Republican presidential candidate called the Oscar-winning actor’s eyebrow-raising remarks “short-sighted” on Friday.  "Most of the people that are criticizing the Tea Partiers about having a racist element, they have never been to a Tea Party," Cain told Fox News.

Freeman, who endorsed Obama in 2007, created a firestorm when he told CNN’s Piers Morgan earlier this week that conservative opposition to the President has enflamed racism in America. He added the Tea Partiers have the mentality of "Screw the country, we're going to do whatever we can to get this black man out of here…It is a racist thing."

Despite the criticism, Cain said he wasn’t offended by Freeman’s comments.  "Name calling is something that is going to continue in this because they don’t know how to stop this movement and this movement is making a big difference in politics," said Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza.

At a GOP presidential debate on Thursday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said - if he could - he would pair Cain with ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich to form his ideal running mate.

Cain was flattered.

"I’ve even seen some of the phrases that I used in the first debate being used in some of the later debates," said Cain. "I’m ok with that; imitation is the best form of flattery."

But Cain trails behind several of the other presidential hopefuls.  He stands in fifth place, with 7% support, according to the latest Rasmuseen Reports survey of likely GOP primary voters.  Ahead of him are Perry, with 28% support, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, with 24%, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 9%, and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann at 8%.