In the airy, expansive room known as 216 Hart Senate Office Building, the site of many highly anticipated and attended congressional events, Hillary Clinton is in the midst of her confirmation hearing to become Barack Obama's secretary of state.

Clinton is as close as Washington comes to a shoo-in, but that doesn't mean her testimony is without genuine drama. Conservative Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee -- particularly Sens. Bob Corker (TN), David Vitter (LA) and Jim DeMint (SC)-- are determined to give her as rough a ride as they can, which means plenty of questions about foreign donors to Bill Clinton's presidential library and foundation.

Meanwhile, the media is still casting panel chairman John Kerry (D-MA) in the beleaguered second-fiddle role he assumed after the 2004 election, citing his dashed hopes to head Obama's state department as a possible indication of confirmation tensions.

But beneath the surface maneuverings, Clinton's nomination to State is one of those storied transitions that members of Congress -- no matter their party -- love to guide to fruition. The hearing is packed with members of Clinton's family and has already inspired a look back to Kerry's famous "Winter Soldier" testimony on Vietnam before the foreign relations panel 38 years ago.

When the curtain falls on Clinton's appearance today, the TV cameras and pack of reporters will disperse to the next confirmation event -- one hopes they'll continue talking about the issues that are raised while the microphones are on.