Ruppersberger

Either you or Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger aren't telling the whole story about his decision leave the House Armed Services Committee, because the explanation given doesn't make any sense ("Ruppersberger steps down from Armed Services panel," June 27). Neither he nor your reporter answers the basic question: Why is a senior member of an important congressional committee stepping aside to make way for an incoming freshman? It should be the other way around. Sorry, but I must be missing something here.

In the two months after 9/11, I called Baltimore County police to check out a black-and-tan backpack left by an office door in Towson, reported an abandoned carry-on bag at BWI to Maryland State Police and refused to watch a bulky valise for a stranger who wanted to leave it with me while he went to the restroom at the airport. Anyone who lived through 9/11 remembers those days of hyper-vigilance. And if that uncomfortable state of mind ever left us as the years went by, it certainly returned last week.

In response to Dan Rodricks ' column regarding Dutch Ruppersberger ("Ruppersberger weighs run for governor," April 11), yeah, that's all well and good, but when are we going to start holding politicians responsible for their past actions, or lack thereof? As Baltimore County executive, Mr. Ruppersberger enabled, if not looked the other way (which is more insidious), as David Brown razed the Samuel Owings House. One more chance at Baltimore County's growth becoming something more than another Paramus, N.J., blown.

As a ranking member of the House intelligence committee, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger says he was briefed every three hours o n the manhunt for the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings. “Right after the bombs went off, we started getting information,” the Baltimore County Democrat said. He praised the FBI's efforts , saying agents have done an  “outstanding job in this investigation . ” Inside a week, two Chechen suspects were identified and tracked down.

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, and Republican committee Chairman Mike Rogers introduced legislation Wednesday that would allow the government to share classified information on potential cyberattacks with private businesses. The bipartisan bill aims to improve communication between the federal agencies that focus on cybersecurity, which have been wary of discussing intelligence information outside the government, and private companies, which have been reluctant to publicize attacks on their computer systems.

I never had my favorite teacher in the classroom. Mr. Verlangas was the moderator of the safety patrol at Leith Walk Elementary School, of which I was the proud captain. At that time, my father suffered a major heart attack. He was in the hospital, and we didn't know if he was going to make it. At a time in my life when I needed a male role model most, Mr. Verlangas was there to help me navigate the tough days. I wanted desperately to be in his classroom, but it never came to be. My father lived until he was 84, but I never forgot Mr. Verlangas' kindness.

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's bill with Rep. Mike Rogers of the House Intelligence Committee is a curious piece of legislation ("Aid to battle cyber threats," Dec. 4). Who is being represented by this legislation? That it involves the National Security Agency, which is busy tapping our phones, entering our computers and otherwise invading the privacy of American citizens and foreigners, should be very unsettling. Government spying on citizens should always be a concern in a democracy.

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger picked up his phone Saturday and found himself in a conversation right out of a spy novel. The line was not secure, so CIA Director Leon Panetta chose his words carefully. "You know that other thing we know about?" Ruppersberger recalled Panetta saying. "We're getting very, very close. " Within hours, U.S. special forces raided a compound in Pakistan and killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. As one of eight lawmakers briefed on the nation's most secret intelligence operations, Ruppersberger had followed the mission for weeks.

Democratic congressional candidate Wendy Rosen picked up the endorsement of neighboring Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger on Wednesday in her bid for the nomination in Maryland's 1st Congressional District. Rosen, a Baltimore County resident, is running for a chance to take on Republican Rep. Andy Harris in November. She faces John LaFerla, an obstetrician and former chair of the Kent County Democratic Central Committee, and Kim Letke in the April 3 primary. "She knows what it takes to preserve our livelihoods -- protecting the Chesapeake Bay, keeping our communities safe, and investing in our schools," Ruppersberger said of Rosen in a statement released by the campaign.

Among the likely Democratic candidates for Maryland governor in 2014 - Howard County executive Ken Ulman, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler - Ulman comes closest to being the "Baltimore-area candidate. " But a genuine Baltimore-area candidate - someone who could pull votes from Baltimore County and the city, and enough in other key sectors of the state - would be a serious contender for the big-daddy chair in Annapolis. And who might that be? Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the six-term congressman and former Baltimore County executive, "is considering it," says his spokeswoman, Jaime Lennon.

The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to allow businesses to share information with the federal government that could help thwart cybersecurity threats, despite concerns from privacy advocates and opposition from the White House. The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Baltimore County, was approved 288-127 in the face of a veto threat from President Barack Obama. The measure would allow Internet companies such as Google and Facebook to share data with federal agencies about potential threats.

In response to Dan Rodricks ' column regarding Dutch Ruppersberger ("Ruppersberger weighs run for governor," April 11), yeah, that's all well and good, but when are we going to start holding politicians responsible for their past actions, or lack thereof? As Baltimore County executive, Mr. Ruppersberger enabled, if not looked the other way (which is more insidious), as David Brown razed the Samuel Owings House. One more chance at Baltimore County's growth becoming something more than another Paramus, N.J., blown.

Among the likely Democratic candidates for Maryland governor in 2014 - Howard County executive Ken Ulman, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler - Ulman comes closest to being the "Baltimore-area candidate. " But a genuine Baltimore-area candidate - someone who could pull votes from Baltimore County and the city, and enough in other key sectors of the state - would be a serious contender for the big-daddy chair in Annapolis. And who might that be? Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the six-term congressman and former Baltimore County executive, "is considering it," says his spokeswoman, Jaime Lennon.

The Army is planning to move an over-the-horizon radar system, with more than 100 soldiers and a pair of giant, blimp-like aerostats that fly as high as two miles up, to Aberdeen Proving Ground in the fall, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger said Thursday. Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said commanders chose the Army base in Harford County for the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, or JLENS, because offers FAA-approved restricted airspace and allows for testing weapons tracking over water.

Watersedge resident Jean Parker was dealing with a backyard and basement full of water Tuesday afternoon after Storm Sandy - but the Baltimore County resident was still counting her blessings. Her home has fared far worse in past storms, said Parker, who has lived there since 1959. "It's nothing compared to Isabel" in 2003, Parker said. "And we didn't lose electricity. … We're really blessed with that. " Parker got a surprise visit from U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger and County Councilman John Olszewski Sr., who were touring eastern Baltimore County neighborhoods to assess storm damage in an area that is prone to flooding.

U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger will be included in a "60 Minutes" piece Sunday looking at Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications equipment maker, that members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence see as a threat to national security. Here's the release from CBS News with a quote from Ruppersberger:            Huawei, a global Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer already doing business in the U.S., poses a threat to national and corporate security say members of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  Those congressmen speak to Steve Kroft for a 60 MINUTES investigation to be broadcast Sunday, Oct. 7 (7:30-8:30PM, ET, 7:00-8:00PM, PT)

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger has been receiving a great deal of media attention lately as the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee due to the demise of Osama bin Laden ("Ruppersberger: It was bin Laden," May 13). According to the congressman, you would think he pulled the trigger himself. Yet, a close examination of his record on intelligence issues reveals another story. A few weeks ago, Mr. Ruppersberger publicly stated that the radical Muslim Brotherhood has "moderated" its view and deserves to be involved in negotiations in Egypt.

It was with great interest that I read your article about Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's office helping people facing foreclosure ("Help comes during foreclosure," Aug. 26). I wonder how many of those facing foreclosure fell behind due to extremely high utility bills. It might interest people to know that in just the six-month period ending June 30, Congressman Ruppersberger received almost $70,000 in contributions from utility companies. Imagine the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has received from them during his 10 years in Congress.

Either you or Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger aren't telling the whole story about his decision leave the House Armed Services Committee, because the explanation given doesn't make any sense ("Ruppersberger steps down from Armed Services panel," June 27). Neither he nor your reporter answers the basic question: Why is a senior member of an important congressional committee stepping aside to make way for an incoming freshman? It should be the other way around. Sorry, but I must be missing something here.