WASHINGTON, D.C. -- From the tone of the hearing, there is no doubt Hillary Clinton's on the fast track to becoming the next secretary of state.

“Her presence overseas will send the message that America is back,” said Senator John Kerry.

But mixed in with the accolades were questions about potential conflicts of interest created by her husband's global business dealings.

“The Clinton Foundation exists as a temptation for any foreign entity of governments that believes it can curry favor through a donation,” said Senator Richard Lugar.

The inquiries about the work of former president Bill Clinton were mild, but they came up more than once during the all-day hearing. Senator Lugar called on Bill Clinton to stop accepting contributions from foreign governments, while another Republican asked for more disclosure on future donations.

“No president has ever disclosed the contributions to his foundation, so when he agreed to disclose the contributions to his foundation, that was a very unprecedented event,” said Hillary Clinton.

The bulk of the hearing was on the issues. Clinton, whose daughter Chelsea was in the room, called for a foreign policy that mixes military might with a healthy dose of diplomacy.

“I believe that American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted. We must use what has been called ‘smart power,’ the full range of tools at our disposal,” Clinton said.

Those tools will be aimed at solving global problems. When it comes to preventing Iran from going nuclear, Clinton said all options are on the table. And she insisted that despite all the recent violence, stability is possible in the Middle East.

“We can't give up on peace in the middle east,” Clinton said.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to vote on Clinton’s nomination on Thursday and it's likely she will be confirmed by the full Senate next week.