WASHINGTON (AP) — A top aide says Sen. Daniel Inouye continues to fight respiratory complications at a Washington-area hospital and says there is no timetable for his release.

The 88 year-old Inouye is the nation's longest-serving senator and has been a dominant force in Hawaii politics for decades.

The aide says Inouye, a decorated World War II veteran, is stable and communicating with his family and doctors.

The aide's statement is more pessimistic than one issued a week ago in Inouye's name that said he was "for the most part, okay."

Deputy Chief of Staff Peter Boylan asks that "the people of Hawaii and the nation keep the senator in their thoughts and prayers."