Wake-Up Call: Wednesday, June 4, 2008

With the PolitickerOR.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Oregon's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerOR.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Oregon's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

The stages of grief
Susan Silodor met Sen. Hillary Clinton last summer in Iowa at a labor event attended by more than a half-dozen Democratic presidential contenders. Silodor says she was "bowled over" by Clinton and immediately signed on as a volunteer.

Nearly 11 months later, the contest has narrowed to Sen. Barack Obama as the presumed nominee, but Silodor can't narrow her feelings: "It's been inspiring, irritating, frustrating and everything in between."

As one of the most emotional presidential primary campaigns in U.S. history drew to a close Tuesday, Clinton supporters in Oregon were at different stages of acceptance. (Michelle Cole and Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian)

Part of the surge
At least two of the three uncommitted Oregon Democratic superdelegates were part of the intrigue Tuesday as U.S. Sen. Barack Obama earned enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination for president Tuesday night. (Todd Murphy, Portland Tribune)

Wyden wants to extend GI Bill further
After Marine Eddie Black served during the first Gulf War, he filled out a simple form to go to college on the GI Bill. No questions asked.

But enrolling in an Oregon university after serving in Iraq with the National Guard was anything but simple. "Which GI bill?" he was asked. The simple form was now a stack of paperwork, and he waited months before receiving a fraction of the money he expected.

"For crying out loud, I was in combat in Baghdad," he told Sen. Ron Wyden at a roundtable Tuesday at Portland State University. The Oregon Army National Guard staff sergeant said he has since walked four of "my Joes" -- into college offices, where he helps start their application process by announcing:

"OK. We're dumb." (Julie Sullivan, The Oregonian)

Hoping for common ground
Newly elected Portland Commissioner Nick Fish does not understand why some City Hall observers believe he will create problems for Portland’s next mayor, Commissioner Sam Adams. (Jim Redden, Portland Tribune)

Recall deadline approaches
LEBANON — A Lebanon political action committee must return 1,398 valid signatures to the Linn County Clerk’s Office by Sept. 2 to force a special election for a recall.

The group, which calls itself Lebanon Citizens Alliance for a Responsible Education System, or CARES, filed a recall petition Monday against Debi Shimmin of the Lebanon School Board. (Jennifer Moody, Albany Democrat-Herald)

With the PolitickerOR.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Oregon's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerOR.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Oregon's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.