Roy Blunt says he would have handled Foley matter differently By MARCUS KABEL Associated Press Writer SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) _ House Majority Whip Roy Blunt said Wednesday he would have advised his congressional colleagues to ask more questions if he had been told earlier about former Rep. Mark Foley’s electronic communications with underage male pages. Blunt said he learned of Foley’s actions when the news became public late last week. He said he was not criticizing the House Republican leadership for its handling of the matter, but he said he would have handled it differently. Blunt noted he has experience handling difficult staff issues from past work as an administrator and as former president of Southwest Baptist University. ’’As a former university president and somebody who’s had lots of people work for him over the years, I could have been helpful if I’d have known about this,’’ Blunt said. ’’I think I could have given some good advice here, which is you have to be curious, you have to ask all the questions you can think of,’’ he said. ‘’You absolutely can’t decide not to look into activities because one individual’s parents don’t want you to,’’ he said. Blunt was speaking after announcing $10.5 million in new federal funds for expansion and research projects at a research center under development by Missouri State University in downtown Springfield. ’’I’m both disappointed, disgusted and outraged at Mark Foley’s conduct,’’ Blunt said. Blunt said Republican House leaders had no reason to inform him about the Foley matter because his position as House whip was not involved in the page program. Blunt defended two contributions totaling just under $5,000 to Foley’s re-election effort by a political action committee that Blunt is honorary chairman of. The donations were made in April, according to The Joplin Globe, which first reported them. Blunt, who said he recommends what contributions the Rely on Your Beliefs PAC makes, said he had no reason at the time not to back Foley in a competitive re-election race. Foley resigned last week and has checked into an undisclosed facility for treatment of alcoholism.