Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listens to a question during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington on Jan. 23, 2013.

For Hillary Clinton, speculation about a 2016 presidential candidacy may be inescapable in any forum.

That would include today’s hearing of the House Foreign Relations Committee, which questioned the outgoing Secretary of State about the September 2012 attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi.

Committee Democrats used part of their question time to praise Clinton and her public service, with some all but endorsing her for president in 2016. (Clinton hasn’t said what she’ll do).

“I salute you, and I look ahead to 2016, wishing you much success and extending to you my highest regards,” Delegate Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa said to Clinton, who laughed in response.

Representative Ted Deutch of Florida smiled after telling Clinton he hoped “after a bit of rest,” she would “consider a return to public service, and should that return bring you to Florida, I would look forward to welcoming you there.”

“I think I speak for all the freshmen that we’re not going to get much time to serve with you, but we hope in a few years we’ll get that chance to serve again,” said first-term Democrat Ami Bera of California.

Some Republicans even made allusions to a potential Clinton campaign.

“Madam Secretary, first let me thank you for your service. And I wish you the best in your future endeavors. Mostly,” Steve Chabot of Ohio said to laughter.

“We look forward to your next steps. We’ll see what happens,” said Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

Republican Tom Cotton, a freshman from Arkansas, noted that “some of our peers on the other side have expressed their ambitions for your future,” before offering that he wished Clinton, who spent many years in public life in Arkansas, had won the 2008 Democratic nomination. Clinton did beat her current boss, President Barack Obama, by 70 percent to 26 percent in that state’s Democratic primary back then.

“I did pretty well in Arkansas,” she said.

Original post is At Clinton Benghazi Hearing, Some 2016 Allusions by Political Capital.

Photograph by Danny Johnston/AP Photo

Republican Tom Cotton, left, participates in a debate at Arkansas Educational Television Network studios in Conway, Ark., on Oct. 25, 2012.

Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican lawyer strongly favored to win a House seat next week, is donating unneeded campaign funds to Republican candidates in tougher races.

Cotton has sent $137,000 in campaign funds to the National Republican Congressional Committee and 43 Republican candidates, according to a list his campaign provided to Political Capital.

Cotton said he wanted to “lead by example” and do his part to “help elect a conservative majority” on Nov. 6, when Republicans are favored to keep their House majority.

“I learned in the Army that you can’t accomplish any mission without being part of a team,” Cotton, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, said in a telephone interview.

Cotton said he learned about Republican candidates in competitive races after talking with National Republican Congressional Committee staff and House members including Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California. Cotton also said he’s been keeping track of the House elections and has an affinity for fellow military veterans seeking office, including Jonathan Paton, a former Arizona state senator in a close race.

Cotton had $399,000 left in his campaign account on Oct. 17, according to a Federal Election Commission report. He’s a shoo-in to win Arkansas’ 4^th District, which takes in most of southern and western Arkansas, including Pine Bluff and Hot Springs. Democratic Rep. Mike Ross isn’t seeking re-election.

Other Republicans likely to join Congress next January are sending campaign funds to candidates in need. They include Ann Wagner of Missouri, Matt Salmon of Arizona, Robert Pittenger and Richard Hudson of North Carolina, Luke Messer of Indiana, Doug LaMalfa of California and Tom Rice of South Carolina.

Original post is Likely Incoming Republican Freshmen Help Vulnerable Members by Political Capital.