What verb would best describe in Russian the act of trying to find some support for one's idea or theory from some source that doesn't necessarrily support or even focus on that idea?
For example,
He was desperately trying to _________________ from Confucius' writings some support for his crazy ideas.
I am looking for a word that besides 'finding' ("выискивать") would also have a connotation of theorizing, which in the example above would be adding some personal interpretation or even development to Confucious' thoughts.