Dr. Ben Carson has inspired millions with his idealism and common sense, but those of us who respect him most should shun dubious operators who are raising big money for the Draft Ben Carson for President Committee.

Dr. Carson insists he has no plans to run for office and no connection to those who solicit unauthorized funds in his name. This situation illustrates the shabby side of conservative activism: manipulative fundraisers who fill their coffers with irrational, exploitative appeals to well-meaning patriots.

Various organizations got rich through groundless agitation about Obama’s birth certificate and a new group collected $4 million in a pointless, hopeless push for impeachment. If we want government to spend more responsibly we should take similar care before investing our own funds in misleading efforts that only damage the conservative cause.