[GardenerForLife]

Begging the Question at Merriam Webster

Begging the question means "to elicit a specific question as a reaction or response," and can often be replaced with "a question that begs to be answered." -Merriam Webster

"Begging The Question" has several meanings. Including a logical fallacy. Or as I use it in this context, "a question that begs to be answered".

That statement of course begs the question on which the entire Congress and the state legislatures and the Supreme Court have been stalled for years,.. -William F. Buckley

In an article about John Kerry's pro choice remarks, William F. Buckley used "begs the question" in the same context that I do.

So I'm pretty sure that my usage is correct.

Thank you for your kind words. :)

[dayglored]

Hmmm, I guess my old-fashioned inner pedant needs an update. :-)

[dayglored]

On further reflection...

>> "That statement of course begs the question on which the entire Congress and the state legislatures and the Supreme Court have been stalled for years,.." -William F. Buckley

> In an article about John Kerry's pro choice remarks, William F. Buckley used "begs the question" in the same context that I do.

Actually, I'll disagree and say that a careful reading of WFB's sentence shows that he is using it in the original "logical fallacy" sense.

He's saying that "That statement" assumes the answer to a question that has stalled (and therefore is not answered), so that's the logical error of the original meaning.