Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured in October 2012, has become one of the most powerful people in Washington. Here's a look at her life and career through the years: 
Before she married Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here, Rodham talks about student protests in 1969, which she supported in her commencement speech at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. 
Rodham, center, a lawyer for the Rodino Committee, and John Doar, left, chief counsel for the committee, bring impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol in 1974. 
Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton helps first lady Rosalynn Carter on a campaign swing through Arkansas in June 1979. Also seen in the photo is Hillary Clinton, center background. 
Bill Clinton embraces his wife shortly after a stage light fell near her on January 26, 1992. They talk to Don Hewitt, producer of the CBS show "60 Minutes." 
With Hillary, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton waves to the crowd at his victory party after winning the Illinois primary on March 17, 1992. 
Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wave to supporters at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, after they gave speeches on family values on August 23, 1992. 
Clinton gestures at a campaign rally November 3, 1992, in Denver. After taking office, President Bill Clinton chose his wife to head a special commission on health care reform, the most significant public policy initiative of his first year in office. 
Bill and Hillary Clinton have a laugh together on Capitol Hill in 1993. 
Clinton pours herself a cup of tea in 1993 while testifying to the Senate Education and Labor Committee about health care reform. 
Clinton speaks at George Washington University on September 10, 1993, in Washington, during her husband's first term. 
Clinton waves to the media on January 26, 1996, as she arrives at federal court in Washington for an appearance before a grand jury. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. 
Hillary Clinton looks on as President Bill Clinton addresses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. 
Hillary and Bill Clinton arrive at Foundry United Methodist Church on August 16, 1998, in Washington. He became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury when he testified via satellite about the Lewinsky matter. 
Clinton shakes hands during a St. Patrick's Day parade in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York, on March 5, 2000. 
Clinton waves to the crowd as she arrives on the stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 14, 2000, in Los Angeles. 
Clinton campaigns for a Senate seat October 25, 2000, at Grand Central Station in New York. 
Hillary Clinton is sworn in as a senator of New York in a re-enactment ceremony with, from left, President Bill Clinton, nephew Tyler, daughter Chelsea, brother Hugh Rodham, mother Dorothy Rodham and Vice President Al Gore on January 3, 2001, in Washington. 
Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer and Clinton celebrate with a crowd of Democratic supporters after their wins in various races November 7, 2006, in New York. 
Clinton speaks during a post-primary rally on January 8, 2007, at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. 
The Clintons pay a visit to the 92nd annual Hopkinton State Fair in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on September 2, 2007. 
Clinton speaks at a campaign rally September 2, 2007, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. 
Clinton addresses a question during a debate with other Democratic presidential candidate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on September 26, 2007. Also pictured are U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, left, and former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska. 
Felipe Bravo, left, and Christian Caraballo are covered with Hillary Clinton stickers in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 8, 2008. 
Clinton campaigns in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with her daughter, Chelsea, on January 1, 2008, two days ahead of the January 3 state caucus. 
Clinton waves as she speaks to supporters at the National Building Museum on June 7, 2008, in Washington. After pulling out of the presidential race, Clinton thanked her supporters and urged them to back Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States. 
Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a Unity Rally in Unity, New Hampshire, on June 27, 2008. 
Obama watches Clinton address the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 2008. The two endured a long, heated contest for the 2008 nomination. 
Sen. Charles Schumer, left, looks toward Secretary of State designate Clinton as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. John Kerry, center, looks on during nomination hearings January 13, 2009, on Capitol Hill. 
Clinton testifies during her confirmation hearing for secretary of state on January 13, 2009, in Washington. 
Clinton, as secretary of state, dances with a local choir while visiting the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Philippi, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, on August 8, 2009. 
Clinton looks through binoculars toward North Korea during a visit to an observation post July 21, 2010, at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. 
Clinton walks up the steps to her aircraft as she leaves a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on July 23, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. 
Hillary and Bill Clinton pose on the day of their daughter's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, New York. 
U.S. President Barack Obama and Clinton observe a moment of silence before a NATO meeting November 19, 2010, in Lisbon, Portugal. 
Clinton listens as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu makes a brief statement November 29, 2010, before a bilateral meeting at the State Department in Washington. 
Clinton shakes hands with a child during an unannounced walk through Tahrir Square in Cairo on March 16, 2011. 
Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Clinton and members of Obama's national security team receive an update on the Osama bin Laden mission May 1, 2011, in the Situation Room of the White House. 
Clinton checks her personal digital assistant prior to departing Malta on October 18, 2011. 
Clinton speaks as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai listens during a news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 7, 2012. 
Clinton arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on July 15, 2012. 
Clinton looks on as Obama makes a statement in response to the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya on September 12, 2012. 
Clinton applauds Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a ceremony where Suu Kyi was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 19, 2012. 
Bill Clinton kisses his wife after introducing her at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on September 24, 2012, in New York City. 
Clinton shakes hands with Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf on September 24, 2012, in New York. 
Clinton stands during a news conference following meetings at the prime minister's office in Pristina, Kosovo, on October 31, 2012. Clinton said that Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence, fiercely opposed by Serbia, was "not up for discussion." 
Clinton chats with Suu Kyi before Obama speaks at the University of Yangon in Yangon, Myanmar, on November 19, 2012. 
Obama looks at Clinton before the start of a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, far right, during the East Asian Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on November 20, 2012. 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Clinton at the prime minister's office November 20, 2012, in Jerusalem. 
Clinton arrives December 4, 2012, for a NATO meeting to discuss Syria and Turkey's request for Patriot missiles to be deployed protectively on the Turkish-Syrian border. 
Clinton receives a sports jersey and football helmet from Deputy Secretary Tom Nides, center, after returning to work on January 7, 2013, following a fall where she hit her head and doctors later detected a blood clot. The number 112 represented the number of countries that she had visited as secretary of state. 
Clinton and her husband arrive for the inauguration for Obama's second term on January 21, 2013. 
Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on January 23, 2013. Lawmakers questioned Clinton about the security failures during the Benghazi, Libya, attacks that led to the death of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. 
From left, first lady Michelle Obama stands with former first ladies Laura Bush, Clinton, Barbara Bush and Rosalynn Carter at the opening ceremony of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas on April 25, 2013. 
Bill and Hillary Clinton speak to guests at the Clinton Global Initiative on June 14, 2013, in Chicago. 
Clinton poses for pictures at St. Andrews University in St. Andrews, Scotland, on September 13, 2013. Clinton received an honorary degree from the university. 
From left, Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush and former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush listen to speakers during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Soweto, South Africa, on December 10, 2013.
- Hillary Clinton continues to attract big attention even though she hasn't become a candidate
- Julian Zelizer says comments from Rove and an article by Lewinsky may help Clinton
- He says these incidents remind people of Hillary Clinton's resilience during the 1990s
- Zelizer: GOP comes across as the investigative party, and empathy goes to Clinton's benefit
Editor's note: Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" and "Governing America." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
(CNN) -- Hillary Clinton had a good week.
She seemed to be energized on a surprise appearance on Barbara Walters' final episode of "The View." "Why don't you take my place on the show?" Walters joked.
She gave a spirited speech at the annual conference of the New America Foundation, insisting on the need to diminish economic inequality and to revive the American dream that hard work should produce economic mobility. "It's at the heart of what I believe is the basic bargain of America: No matter who you are or where you come from if you work hard and play by the rules, you will have the opportunity to build a good life for yourself and your family."
Although the former secretary of state has not yet thrown her name into the 2016 presidential campaign, a series of seemingly negative stories that unfolded recently have the potential to actually strengthen her case for running to become president of the United States.
On the surface, the good news was not obvious. Many observers logically saw the news in a different light. "As she takes clear steps toward her political future," wrote Maggie Haberman of Politico, "the echoes of the old days are making the most noise right now."
The hearings on Benghazi have excited Republicans who are seeking to investigate what mistakes or wrongdoing she might have committed while serving as secretary. Her critics have also been asking why the State Department didn't designate Boko Haram, the group responsible for the kidnapping of nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls, as a terrorist organization.
Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the top Republican prospects, put on his teacher's cap and said Clinton deserved an "F" for her leadership at the State Department. The hearings and the questions about foreign policy will serve as a reminder to Americans of the kind of tough political attacks Clinton should expect if she runs.
Could Rove's Clinton remarks backfire? 
Feinstein: Hillary at "political prime" 
Clinton's record on sanctions 
Clinton defends Hillary against Rove The piece in Vanity Fair written by Monica Lewinsky has also brought up memories of the nastier side of the late 1990s, when the scandal involving her relationship to the President almost brought down the Clinton administration. The ongoing release of documents from President Clinton's archive is also triggering more stories about Clinton in the 1990s.
Just to make matters more difficult, Karl Rove's statements suggesting that Clinton had suffered brain damage from a fall will trigger more discussions about whether she is physically up for the job. Rove stood by his statements this Sunday on the talk shows.
And Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who some think could be a possible candidate in 2016, said on CNN that he was worried so many people speak of Clinton as inevitable. "I think it's off-putting to the average . .. voter," he said.
Castellanos: Rove's attack on Clinton was clumsy but shrewd
But all of this news, while certainly problematic, can work to her advantage. One of Hillary Clinton's greatest assets is her resilience and ability to take on the toughest of political fights. By bringing back memories of the 1990s, many of these stories will also bring back discussions of how much Hillary Clinton was able to endure .
At a time when many Democrats are frustrated with how congressional Republicans have been able to stymie this administration, the personal and professional record of Hillary Clinton -- both as first lady and in her subsequent roles as senator and secretary of state -- could look extremely good and offer an attractive model as Democrats select a leader to guide their party through the partisan wars that are surely going to continue in the coming years.
The stories about Monica Lewinsky and Clinton's health will also help to humanize her in a way that few other events can do. After all, one of Hillary Clinton's ongoing obstacles, including when she ran in 2008, was her difficulty in conveying some of her personality and character to a public that often saw her almost as cold machine. The ways in which she endured the trials of her marriage and assaults on her personal character in the 1990s are sure to bring some sympathy from many Americans and, at a minimum, to give voters a better sense of who she is as a person.
Given how long Americans have been forced to suffer through the fierce partisan attacks of recent years they might have greater sympathy for what she endured several decades ago. As Chelsea looks forward to giving birth to her first child, Hillary Clinton has talked more about the joys of parenthood and excitement of becoming a grandparent, also experiences that will make her more human to American voters.
The turbulence over her record that takes place in the weeks ahead can help shake some of the sense of inevitability that surrounds her candidacy, which would not necessarily be a bad thing. After all the media, and to a large extent voters, tend to like someone who has to struggle to achieve victory.
In 2008, Barack Obama's supporters seized on the fact that Clinton was said to be the inevitable nominee and used that against her. Obama's supporters presented her as the candidacy of the status quo, while depicting him as the fighter and as the person struggling toward victory in an exciting contest.
The attack on Clinton and the questions that emerge about her candidacy in the coming weeks can remind voters that her journey is anything but an easy path to success and show her to be very much a fighter and survivor in this campaign.
The Benghazi hearings in particular, when combined with others like those on the IRS, will further the perception that the Republicans are an investigative party, obsessed with scandal and constantly seeking to find evidence against our leaders. The hearings can further tarnish the already badly damaged image of the GOP.
And there is nobody better able to play up this angle and take advantage of these party weaknesses than Hillary Clinton, who was part of the White House team that turned this image against the GOP in the late 1990s.
Finally, it is good to get all of this out of the way so early, before she has even announced her candidacy.
If there is one truism in American politics, it is that everything bad will get out eventually. It is always good to get bad news out of the way long before the game really gets going. It's still the preseason in the presidential campaign of 2016. Given the short attention span of many Americans, it is much better for all this to circulate now when most voters are not really paying attention and before any serious contest has even begun.
Taken together, this is why the bad news can actually be good for Hillary Clinton if she is preparing to run. The onslaught of attacks and challenges might just be the reminder that Democrats need -- that Hillary Clinton is the person best qualified to handle this job.
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