Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Hillary Clinton arrives at her confirmation hearing today as one of the most famous nominees for U.S. secretary of state in modern times, poised to overcome partisan animosity and secure easy approval.

Clinton has spoken with each senator on the Foreign Relations Committee to preview concerns at a time of multiple threats. The U.S. is fighting two wars and is dealing with crises over Iran’s possible nuclear-arms program and a conflict in the Middle East. Both Republicans and Democrats on the panel praise her command of the issues and point to the fame she can put at the service of U.S. diplomacy.

“I found her to be very knowledgeable, consistent, a hard worker,” said Senator Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican on the panel who supported Senator John McCain for president. “She’s been strong on the Middle East,” he said, calling her “a strong supporter of the war on terror.”

In her remarks to the committee, Clinton will emphasize the use of economic and political leverage in foreign policy, according to excerpts of prepared remarks released by her office. She will call for stronger diplomacy, balanced with military power, and will press for more State Department funding.

American Role

The steps will help “renew” American leadership, Clinton says. “America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America,” she says.

Clinton, 61, has prepared for the hearing by turning to former secretaries of state and seasoned diplomats who worked for her husband, President Bill Clinton. She has boned up on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iran, terrorism in Pakistan and war in Afghanistan, the consequences of withdrawing troops from Iraq and other U.S. priorities.

A possible point of tension in the hearing is ethics concerns about donations from foreign governments and individuals to former President Clinton’s presidential library and charitable projects. Ranking Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, while backing Hillary Clinton’s nomination, has signaled that he will explore whether the fundraising would create conflicts for her as secretary of state.

Historian Michael Beschloss said expectations are high for Senator Clinton because of her celebrity, a prominence he compared to that of former secretaries of state Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and William Jennings Bryan -- and because of her versatility in high-profile roles.

Lightning Rod

It was in some of those roles -- as an activist first lady involved in health policy and a presidential candidate -- that Clinton became a lightning rod for controversy, polarizing defenders and detractors. As the junior senator from New York, she has won plaudits for working across the aisle with past foes.

“Anyone who questions her potential as secretary of state need only look at how she made herself into a formidable senator” by learning “assiduously,” Beschloss said.

Still, her husband’s global connections have weighed on her nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama’s top diplomat.

Bill Clinton, 62, sought to allay concerns that Hillary Clinton might have conflicts by releasing the names of donors to his William J. Clinton Foundation, which does charitable work and funded the construction of his library in Little Rock, Arkansas. He also restricted foreign contributions and agreed to allow the government to vet his speaking and consulting work if his wife is confirmed.

Foreign Donors

Clinton’s foundation got at least $41 million from foreign nations such as Saudi Arabia, the largest oil producer, and government-run groups. Foreign businessmen in the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, South Asia and Africa also contributed.

Spokesmen for Hillary Clinton declined to comment on the issues she will be asked about at the hearing.

Clinton’s recognition worldwide will be an advantage in the job, said Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004.

“It will leverage her ability to be able to take a message to the world,” Kerry said.

Albright’s Advice

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she has advised Clinton to prioritize because “the job is much harder than it looks,” and her celebrity means “everyone wants to see her.”

Clinton will draw heavily on other prominent figures for her diplomacy, including former United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and former Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross as a top adviser, according to people familiar with the transition.

She and Obama selected veteran government officials as deputies -- James Steinberg, who was President Clinton’s deputy national security adviser, and Jacob Lew, former director of Clinton’s Office of Management and Budget.

Clinton will seek to minimize differences with Obama that emerged during the presidential campaign, such as over how to approach the Iran problem. Clinton called then-rival Obama “naive” after he pledged to meet with American adversaries without preconditions.

Tactical Differences

“If you really examine the issues during the campaign, they differed from each other a lot less than they did from President Bush,” and mainly over tactics, Albright said in an interview.

Clinton will try to respond to lawmakers without pinning Obama to specific positions or statements that might limit his room to maneuver, said Edward Walker, a former assistant secretary of state who is a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

“I think she’s going to be very cautious,” said Walker, who accompanied Clinton when she traveled in the Mideast as first lady. “They will try to get her on the record on some favored foreign-policy topic that works in their constituencies, and a lot of domestic politics gets into the mix.”

Senator Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has told Clinton he hopes Obama will be serious about diplomatic engagement with Iran and will pay more attention to “second-tier countries,” such as Vietnam.

Webb said he will raise concerns about NATO expansion having gone too far, and about ramping up U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. “We need an over-arching strategy and a very clearly defined strategy before we go too far,” Webb said. “I’m very concerned about a repeat of Iraq.”

Clinton is unlikely to face questioning as contentious as some nominees endured, such as Condoleezza Rice’s cross- examination at the height of the Iraq War in President George W. Bush’s second term.

Asked what Clinton will have to do to persuade the committee to sign off on her nomination, Kerry quipped, “Show up.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be very complicated,” he said. “I expect it to go very smoothly.”

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Last Updated: January 13, 2009 09:46 EST