Bruce

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

JERRY D. BRUCE, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, No. 06-35529 v.  D.C. No.

CV-04-01310-ALA

MICHAEL J. ASTRUE, Commissioner, Social Security Administration, OPINION Defendant-Appellee.  Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon Ann L. Aiken, District Judge, Presiding

Submitted July 11, 2008* Portland, Oregon

Filed March 5, 2009

Before: Mary M. Schroeder and Harry Pregerson, Circuit Judges, and Lyle E. Strom,** District Judge.

Opinion by Judge Pregerson

*The panel unanimously finds this case suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). **The Honorable Lyle E. Strom, U.S. District Judge for the District of Nebraska, sitting by designation. COUNSEL

James S. Coon, Swanson, Thomas & Coon, Portland, Oregon, for the plaintiff-appellant.

Jamala Edwards, Assistant Regional Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Social Security Administration, Seattle, Washington, for the defendant-appellee. 2736 BRUCE v. ASTRUE

OPINION

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge:

Jerry…