The auditorium at University Circle's John Hay High School was nearly filled.
Workers, retirees, the unemployed, business owners, and health care industry workers all queried the Democratic Senator.
As one of two authors of the bill seeking a public option for `any' insurance plan, Brown is accustomed to challenges, and in fact was verbally admonished by Matt Lynch, the very first member of the public who spoke ---
MATT LYNCH: "Honor the will of the American people who do not want government health insurance and simply leave us alone."
But far more comments were like that of Scott Lynch, no relation to Matt, but a recent John Carroll graduate who worries about the `future' of health care, and who supports some type oversight that a health bill would bring.
SCOTT LYNCH: "it may not be the perfect plan but it's long past time for a change that some major change is happening, and I appreciate that..." (crowd applause).
Dared by another speaker to sign a so-called reconciliation bill, which would need fewer Senate votes to be enacted, Senator Brown hedged. But he said he holds out hope that democrats can work alongside Republicans to produce a meaningful bill.
SENATOR SHERROD BROWN: "I want to see a bi-partisan bill, but more than that I want to see a good bill. If it can be bipartisan, with Olympia Snowe and George Voinovich, that's what I want to see us do. If it can't then I want to see us put a bill on President Obama's desk that he supports, by November or December."
Considering out of pocket costs, many told stories similar to that of retiree club president Ron Sawyer; hoping they'll spur Congress to act.
RON SAWYER: "I had people in there that has hit the donut hole back in July of this year. Ya know what I had to tell them to do cause they couldn't afford it? Call Canada."
Senator Brown is holding forums like this across Ohio, and plans to present much of what is said to other Senators, on his return to Washington.
Rick Jackson, 90.3.
