Well-known Republican figure arrested after bomb threat disrupts party event

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.theday.com/article/20100916/NWS04/309169299/-1/NWS

By Marianne Sullivan

Publication: The Day

Published 09/16/2010 12:00 AM Updated 09/16/2010 04:53 AM

Madison — A well-known Republican was arrested Tuesday and charged with calling in a bomb threat Sunday that disrupted an afternoon Republican fundraiser .

Madison police charged James Byrne, 70, of 34 Hotchkiss Lane, with threatening, falsely reporting an incidence and breach of peace.

Bryne is an attorney and former member of the town's Planning and Zoning Commission. He was released on a written promise to appear in court and is schedule to appear in Superior Court in New Haven Sept. 28

"I give the police a lot of credit," Republican Town Chairman Tom Banisch said. "They had identified the caller within 24 hours. By Monday night I was standing in the police department looking at the surveillance film in order to verify an ID."



Thugs just aren't very smart are they?

[left coaster]

1. Was this a stupid ass stunt to try and make local Dems look like the culprits?

..or is this guy really turning against his own party? Either way, what a maroon.

[pinboy3niner]

2. Sounds like a possible mental health issue, doesn't it, Don?

Byrne obviously has issues with one or more local party people. And the guy is 70 years old!

I wonder if he's a teabagger?

[gratuitous]

3. The difference between dabbling in crime and being really committed

I remember when Michael Deaver was being charged with influence peddling and some other unsavory charges for his fixing work as a political operative back in the 1980s. He'd been a high flyer in the Reagan administration, and wound up crossing the wrong person and falling afoul of the authorities.

Naturally, such a high profile operative getting charged with a crime drew attention, and Deaver's first attorney proffered the excuse that Deaver couldn't possibly be subject to prosecution because he had no remembrance of doing anything illegal. Why didn't Deaver remember? Well, he had this drinking problem, see, and was subject to blackouts, so really the court should let him off the hook. I read that and immediately thought, "Oh boy, there have to be about a million guys sitting in the jug waiting to see how this 'I was drunk' defense plays out." Deaver got a real criminal defense attorney shortly afterwards and that excuse was jettisoned pretty quickly

[formercia]

5. I knew Mike Dever

Spent a couple of weeks as a guest on his CA Ranch, surrounded by RayGun Memorabilia.

He was a pretty slick operator. He was running scams all over the place.

[pscot]

4. They really are nuts

The Republicans are having a nervous breakdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsseYIrNeC4&feature=related