Two former First Ladies are making headlines today — on Sonia Sotomayor, Michelle Obama and whether President Obama is ready to get those three o’clock AM phone calls.

Speaking to ABC’s "This Week" on Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted that she told the president "no" when he first asked her to be his chief diplomat. After all, she had just come off an exhausting presidential campaign of her own, and was looking forward to getting back to the Senate and working for New Yorkers. Plus — can you say "awkward" at the thought of working for the man you publicly fought with for months in the public eye in the battle for the White House, bashing him for not being ready for the job of commander in chief? Clinton even recommended other people she thought were better for the job, but the president was persistent — he wouldn’t take "no" for an answer.

"Ultimately, it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it," Clinton said. "Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes."

And remember those three AM phone-call commercials Clinton’s campaign launched against Obama during the presidential race, questioning whether he could handle international crises? Well, she now, of course, says he’s more than fit and able to deal with such emergencies.

"The president, in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team, has been strong, thoughtful, decisive. I think he is doing a terrific job. And it’s an honor to serve with him," she said.

Former First Lady Laura Bush gave her first interview since leaving the White House to ABC. She talked about life after the White House, how her husband, George Bush, feels he "owes President Obama his silence," and also called Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor a "very interesting and good nominee," and said she’s "proud" at the thought there may soon be another woman on the bench. And she’s keeping a very close eye on Michelle Obama, to whom she gave a tour of the White House shortly before packing her bags and moving out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"I like to watch her. I think she’s doing great," Bush said. "I remember what it’s like, those first few months that you live at the White House where you’re still looking for the light switches … And then to be there with their little girls reminded me a lot of being there with my big girls … it’s a very, very nice place for family life."

Watch a portion of Clinton’s interview below. Read her whole interview, complete with video segments, here.

Here Bush’s talking about Sotomayor. Watch her whole interview here: