He’s been making headlines ever since his National Prayer Breakfast speech, which offered a prescription for American health care woes that stood in stark contrast to Obamacare. Now Dr. Ben Carson has been targeted by a Detroit News columnist as a potential U.S. Senate candidate in his home state.

Liberals screamed that Carson was parroting right-wing talking points and disrespecting the president.

Social networks lit up with diatribes against Carson, calling him a “house negro” and worse.

All of which, of course, caused conservatives to fall in love with him. They invited him to keynote last week’s CPAC 2013 gathering, where the Republican right included him on a list of potential GOP presidential candidates.

About that prospect, Carson, who officially calls himself an independent, said: “If the Lord grabbed me by the collar and made me do it, I would.”

Before the Lord gets a hold of him, Michigan Republicans should consider locking him up.

The state GOP hasn’t won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1994. With the retirement of Democratic incumbent Sen. Carl Levin, Republicans believe they have a shot at the seat in 2016.

Carson, if he could be lured back to his native state, would bring national attention to the race, as well as national dollars. There are few things conservatives love more than a black Republican. And one of Carson’s stature would draw money out of moldy GOP wallets everywhere.

Carson would help a party addicted to white suburban candidates intrigue young and urban voters, black and white, who grew up looking at his picture hanging on their classroom walls.