I use it to mean the "diversionary tactic." 

Nancy Burkhalter

At 05:01 PM 10/15/99 -0800, you wrote:
>I'd like to survey list members on what they think the expression "that
>begs the question" means. I've been observing it used in ways I'm not
>used and wondering what the general consensus is on how the meaning of
>the phrase.
>
>I've seen it used to mean either "what you are saying doesn't directly
>answer the question that has been posed, but is a complicated
>diversionary tactic", or "some situation demands that we ask the
>question X".
>
>Which one do y'all feel is most familiar (or does it mean both)?
>
>Thanks!
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
>English Department, California Polytechnic State University
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>                                       **
>"Understanding is a lot like sex; it's got a practical purpose,
>but that's not why people do it normally"  -            Frank  Oppenheimer
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>