The crowd at the TED conference in Monterey is accustomed to seeing rock stars. So when folks on the normally low key line cued up to enter the main hall for the announcement of the TED Prize, folks joked that people were lining up to see Paul Simon. While there was some truth to that - Simon was on the program - the crowd was lining up to see President Bill Clinton present his 'wish'.

Ok, some history may be necessary here. The TED Prize is awarded to three extraordinary individuals each year - and each winner is invited to invent one wish that the TED community of influential Designers, Internet Exec's, Venture Capitalists, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs will endeavor to help make come true. In its third year, the TED prize has had some pretty amazing honorees... including Bono and The Google Foundation's Larry Brilliant.

But even for a room accustomed to Rock Stars, the Clinton appearance was pretty electrifying. Clinton arrived and everyone in the room was looking for significance in both what he said and what he didn't say. He wore black jeans, and a black polo. Casual, as thin as I ever remember seeing him, and engaged - he was ready to wow the room. But there were lots of things floating around as well. There was no sign of Hillary. The idea that she might drop in on this crowd had floated around the conference all day. And Bill didn't mention Hillary, Bush, or anything that was even remotely near current politics. He steered clear. And he couldn't help but know that Al Gore had presented his now famous slide show on this very stage last year - in a presentation that had electrified the TED community. Here, Clinton had something to say. He commentated on Gore's Oscar win, and then offered his suggestion to the Vice President and Film Star. "I told Al, you're only half done - you need to make a sequel." Clinton was referring to a second environmental film about Global Warming, one that picks up on the four suggestions on how to make a difference that "An Inconvenient Truth" ends with. But the words "Gore" and "Sequel" can't help but make minds roam around. Clearly Gore isn't taking any film projects just now. It was a night of Rock Stars, and you can say on thing about them both. It brought you back.