Moore, Brown-Waite sit down for cordial meeting

He doesn't expect to change her mind overnight.
But Brian Moore was glad to have the opportunity to speak his piece Monday during a sit-down with U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville.
It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two since Moore publicly criticized the congresswoman for not allowing him to protest directly outside her office in June.
On Monday, Moore brought six members of his organization, the NatureCoast Coalition for Peace and Justice, to a pre-scheduled meeting with Brown-Waite.
On this occasion, Moore was there to present his views against so-called "Obamacare" and to advocate a single-payer health care plan. The media was not allowed to sit in on the meeting.
Cassie Smedile, spokeswoman for Brown-Waite, said in an e-mail that it's a standing policy not to allow the media in constituent meetings - regardless of the constituent or the nature of the meeting.
"This is to insure privacy for both the constituent and all other constituents who may be in the office at that time," Smedile said.
Brown-Waite said briefly after the meeting that it's important for Moore and his group to realize they are in the minority.
Moore said after the meeting that Brown-Waite was open to debate in the discussion and the group enjoyed a "spirited give and take" for most of the meeting.
Some points they agreed on. Brown-Waite, for instance, agreed that there is duplication and waste in the health care industry and cited her late husband, Harvey, as an example. Before he died of cancer, doctors began ordering duplicate tests and procedures at different locations, according to Brown-Waite, who blames a fear of liability, not the doctors.
The members of the group, which includes a nurse and auto insurance worker, shared personal stories about their experiences with the health system and insurance.
Both sides of the debate ended on a high note.
After the meeting, Moore contested the assertion that they are in the minority. He acknowledged that the meeting will probably not change the congresswoman's mind, but hoped it would "make her hesitate and reflect."