What Exactly Is a "Jesuitical Argument"? [View All]

[CorpGovActivist]

Yikes.

I'm re-watching the interview that Senator Clinton gave on MTP from earlier today, and the series of questions about her IWR vote produced this quote:

"You know, look, judgment is not a single snapshot. Judgment is what you do across the course of your life and your career ..."

Russert tries to ask a follow-up, and the two talk over each other for a moment.

"You know, well, you know, Tim, we could have this - uh - Jesuitical - uh - argument about what exactly was meant. You know, when Chuck Hagel, who helped to draft the resolution said it was not a vote for war, when I was told directly by the White House in response to my question - if you are given this authority, will you put the inspectors in and permit them to finish their job - I was told that's exactly what we intended to do. Now, I think it's important to take a look at the entire context here. If Senator Obama is gonna get credit for his speech and his position against the war, then he deserves to be asked what happened in Oh-3, Oh-4, Oh-5, Oh-6, and Oh-7."

Oh, brother.

But wouldn't that devolve into a Jesuitical Argument?

- Dave

P.S. On edit, here is the http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/">MTP page with the Netcast and transcript.

P.P.S. On further edit, I thought just about everyone knew about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Russert">Tim Russert's Catholic upbringing, education, and background, given his frequent mentions of http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=tim+russert+sister+lucille">Sister Lucille. Edited to provide that additional context.