In the history of the United States, 1,897 Americans have served as senators. Just six have served for more than 40 years, including Hawaii's Dan Inouye.

So if you start a new job at 84, it is not likely that folks will call it “;bringing in new blood.”;

“;Steady and sober”; are the adjectives most used to describe the attributes that have led to the expected ascension of Hawaii's senior Democrat to the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Although the transfer of power from soon-to-be-91-year-old West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd to Inouye has not yet happened, Inouye acknowledges he is next in line and wants it.

  Last week, Byrd issued a statement saying he would attempt to hold on to the chairmanship of the committee, which controls, according to the New York Times, “;about one-third of all federal spending.”;

But it is obvious that Byrd, who is in poor health, in and out of the hospital and has, according to the Washington paper “;Roll Call,”; unnerved senators by interrupting floor speeches “;with chants of 'Yes, Lord' and cheering 'Yeah, man,'”; is likely to be respectfully and gently eased out.

Inouye is then in line for the post that colleague Rep. Neil Abercrombie says would be “;the epitome of his career.”;

  The appropriations Committee is the route through which all major federal legislation must pass, Abercrombie says. So if Barack Obama becomes president, the Hawaii-born president will have to work closely with Inouye to move new legislation.

Abercrombie's toes are in permanent spasm over the symbolic alignment of Inouye, Obama and Hawaii as he gushes that “;the dynamic presence on the world stage of this person born and raised in Hawaii”; would be dependent on “;a Japanese-American congressional Medal of Honor winner out of the last century ... who assumed the centerpiece of legislative authority.”;

  In a more reflective pose, Inouye did allow that “;Hawaii would look a little bigger on the map.”;

Honed by decades of Senate service, Inouye shows a Zen parsing of politics, noting in an interview last week that while he still supports his friend, the beleaguered convicted felon GOP Sen. Ted Stevens, he is “;not against (Stevens') opponent (Mark) Begich.”;

If Obama wins on Tuesday, he would be wise to put Dan Inouye's number on speed-dial.