Scott Baio, best known for his role as “Chachi” on the ’70s sitcom Happy Days before becoming a VH1 reality mess, is receiving online death threats over a joke he cracked about the President’s wife on Twitter.

The devoted Republican, who had been Tweeting about Republican Scott Brown winning the US Senate seat in Massachusetts, Tweeted an unflattering photo of Michelle Obama, with the caption: “WOW He wakes up to this every morning.”

Within minutes, some Twitter followers began attacking Baio, 48, with some calling him racist. Many of his followers began leaving him instructions to kill himself.

“Easy to find your house Scottie boy and finish YOU,” one follower wrote. “I am a republican and I love Mrs O.” Another tweeted “YOU Scott Baio should be PUT DOWN and someone will PUT YOU DOWN.YOU;your WIFE and KID”

Baio immediately fired off a series of Tweets attempting to prove he is no racist.

“I’m NOT racist for posting a pic of M.O. My WIFE’S BEST FRD IS BLACK,HELLO,” he Tweeted.

Later, he tweeted: “If I’m racist, don’t think I would have Directed shows like The Parkers & The Wayans Bros. or worked 41 eps w/ Victoria Rowell on D.Murder.”

The postings spooked Scott who said he had sent the offending tweets to the FBI and has “a file number for the threats.”

He warned that the FBI is after all “death threaters” and this: “For New followers: I POST A LOT OF JOKES WITH PICS. They are JUST that, a joke. NOT targeting anyone. Laughter IS the best medicine.”

(Sidebar: WTF are “Theaters?” He’s in good company — Sarah Palin is also known for adding words to the English dictionary. Maybe it’s a Republican thing…..)