Though protesters lined the street outside the Holiday Inn waving signs and shouting, the evening began quietly for the people packed inside the hotel lobby and ballroom where Sen. Max Baucus was speaking to members of Missoula's medical community.

They sipped wine and ate appetizers, chatting in huddled groups before meandering over to their chairs to hear the presentation. Even as Baucus spoke about his health care plan and alluded to the "mob-like" situations he'd experienced in past meetings, people sat attentive and quiet.

Then came the time for questions.

At first, personal opinions remained at bay while Baucus answered one question by talking about the importance of having a "uniquely American" system. Even when somebody mentioned the lack of tort reform in the potential bill, a topic that would become more heated as the evening wore on, all it elicited where a few negative words shouted in the senator's direction.

But then one woman stood up, turned to the audience and said: "I'm against government intrusion into my life. I feel we have the best health care in the world. Our doctors are top notch."

She was met by clapping and shouts of approval from a number of audience members. And from that point on, the audience continued to grow bolder: clapping when they supported something that was said, shouting at Baucus, and speaking harshly to each other.

The concerns were varied. Some were skeptical about costs, some about insurance, and many about what they feel is not enough consideration of tort reform, which many in the audience speculated has something to do with the number of lawyers in Congress.

"Ask every physician here and they'll tell you tort reform has to be in the bill," someone shouted.

Baucus continued to stress that the U.S. Senate's health care reform bill has yet to be written, admitting that tort reform has not come up very often and that including it would be difficult.

But Baucus had a number of supporters in the audience as well. When one man stood up to tell the senator he didn't believe anything he said, someone yelled "I think he is being honest," a reply met with a round of loud clapping.

"I pride myself on my honesty," Baucus said. "I pride myself on that more than anything."

Allison Maier is a senior studying print journalism at the University of Montana who is interning at the Missoulian this summer. She can be reached at 523-5241 or by e-mail at allison.maier@lee.net.