Posted on 10/02/2006 1:27:37 PM PDT by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON - At least one former congressional page is disputing another former page's claims that pages were warned five years ago to beware of U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce.
Matthew Loraditch, a page in the 2001-2002 class, told ABC News he and other pages were warned about Foley by a supervisor in the House Clerk's office. Loraditch, the president of the Page Alumni Association, said the pages were told "don't get too wrapped up in him being too nice to you and all that kind of stuff."
But another page, who asked not to be named told The Palm Beach Post, "The program in no official capacity warned us about it," and he said that Loraditch had posted an explanation for his comments to ABC on the college social network, Facebook.com.
Loraditch's Facebook.com statement said: "I have received several heated responses from my fellow pages about media involvement in the current situation. I want to respond with a few points and thoughts.
"Firstly, as to the ABC "Warned" story, while I may have inadvertently used the word, "warned," in communication, I can assure you it was not intended. The fact of the matter is in an informal situation a supervisor mentioned that Foley was a bit odd or flaky and did not connote by tone or otherwise that he should be avoided.
"Secondly as to talking out in general, . . . I don't think anyone can argue that protecting kids, pages, or whomever from sexual predators is anything but the most important of this whole saga. Nothing comes in front of the safety of the page program, not the page program, a member of congress, no one.
"Thirdly, I have stressed several key points in my contact with media that all situations with Mr. Foley occurred after we had finished our service as pages. That if anything had happed while we were in Washington, it would have been dealt with. That I have full faith and trust that any of the supervisors and staff we worked with would have properly dealt with any situation like the current one. That the page program is one of the most wonderful and educational experiences a youth can have.
"Fourthly, although not all of you know people who have had these horrible conversation with Foley, I do. And frankly that gives me all the more reason to speak out. . . .
"Finally, if i have hurt or offended anyone, I am sorry. And I love my page friends and I cherish my relationships with the page program staff, however fracture some of this may have made them. I want you all to know that I truly believe that I'm doing the best that I can do."
The other page said most pages are angry at Loraditch's comments and that the page program did its best to ensure the safety of pages, with strict rules and curfews.
Also Monday, the placard that once designated Foley's office was gone early this morning, two days after he resigned amid allegations of inappropriate communications with a minor.
Around 10:30 a.m., a congressional employee put up a new sign reading, "Office of the 16th Congressional District of Florida.
I was wondering the same thing. That statement doesn't make any sense.
>>Why didn't Matthew speak out sooner?
This whole thing has only been going on since What? Friday?
No, a year or more.
I've missed a crucial element of the timeline, then. Which isn't surprising, since the reporting on this is all spin, with little information.
Those "emails" posted on that site are obviously fakes. No date, no header, nothing.
They look worse than those Bush Letters CBS made. In fact they look like they were made by the same person.
It's becoming evident that this is nothing but a planned ambush to sway the election. Something that those responsible in media should go to jail for.
What they are doing is swaying an election, depriving the people of their right to elect a government of THEIR choice, not the media's choice.
I'm so sick of MSM. Something has to be done about it. If only the WH and GOP would grow balls...
>>It's becoming evident that this is nothing but a planned ambush to sway the election.
I was out of the country for a week, with pretty limited news exposure, arriving back late Sunday. That was evident within about 30 minutes of reading FR late Sunday/early Monday.
I wonder if there was ever a time that kids didn't have to be warned about working around these congress critters that some people call 'honorable'.
In other words, why did he wait until now? If he knew there were inappropriate emails or whatever, why didn't he speak out before this all blew up? To me, it appears Matthew is looking for a few minutes of fame. From the interviews of him I have seen, it does not appear that he has any first hand knowledge of anything. Again, I'm not defending Foley. I just find it odd how all the news organizations dredge up these obscure people.
And therein lies the ratholes' problem. Think of it as the Funerally turned up to 11.
Good point
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