Details of our city

A lot of smallish towns have brushes with fame. Our humble city's brush with fame includes one president, a presidential pardon, a stained blue dress, and a very unusual loan.

Near the end of Bill Clintons second term in office many "questionable" pardons were given out, and one landed here.

"Former President Bill Clinton's brother-in- law Tony Rodham helped obtain a presidential pardon for a Tennessee couple last March over the objections of the Justice Department, Mr. Rodham and lawyers involved in the pardon said today.

"Mr. Clinton pardoned Edgar Allen Gregory Jr. and his wife, Vonna Jo. The Gregorys, who live outside Nashville and own United Shows of America, a carnival company based in Smyrna, Tenn., were convicted of bank fraud in 1982, accused of using the assets of a bank they owned to give loans to friends."

And the loan was rather large that Bill's brother-in-law received.

The Washington Times reported that a bankruptcy judge has frozen Tony Rodham's bank account. A court-appointed trustee is demanding Mrs. Clinton's brother repay more than $100,000 in loans he obtained from a carnival company, United Shows of America, Inc.

How did Tony, who has described himself as a consultant - Gee, could he be a little vaguer? - get his mitts on carnival cash?

Alas the pardoned Edgar Allen Gregory Jr did not get to enjoy his "freedom" from a conviction for long. He passed away three years after the pardon in 2004. 100,000$ may be a lot to you or I, but what price is freedom worth?

That is a detail of our city.