What's controversial about saying the Republicans & their Tea Party allies are racist?

I'm sure you have already heard that NPR CEO & President Vivian Schiller has resigned following the resignation of NPR Senior VP for Fundraising Ron Schiller (no relation) due to "controversial" comments he made:

Tea Party people aren't "just Islamaphobic, but really xenophobic, I mean basically they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America gun-toting. I mean, it's scary. They're seriously racist, racist people."

What I don't understand is why telling the truth is controversial.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/03/09/134358398/in-video-npr-exec-slams-tea-party-questions-need-for-federal-funds

A tea party for the ages

In a new book, Out of Our Heads: Rock 'n' Roll Before the Drugs Wore Off, George Case begins with the "infamous tea party" at the Hotel Delmonico in 1964 when Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to "the wonders of weed."

Now that's my kind of tea party. And one that I would surmise some current Tea Partyers might do well to try.