Reply #10: I believe he told it for sympathy

[barb162]

"It wasn't so long ago, he reminded another audience, when he had taken out loans for his failed 2000 congressional race against Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.). He said he was nearly broke when he arrived in Los Angeles for the Democratic National Convention that summer. His credit card was declined when he tried to rent a car."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama,1,1815354.story?page=3

Maybe it was the loans he took out, but then if he had no money, why did he take the trip to the Convention? It just doesn't sound like very good personal money management.