A Presidential Plug

Alexandra Peers writes: Singer Tony Bennett has been painting watercolors and portraits for years, signing his work "Benedetto." And while he should still keep his day job, or in this case, his evening gig, he does have one major collector of his work: Bill Clinton.

Sunday night, the former president stepped from the wings of a charity auction Bennett was hosting at Rockefeller Center for Frank Sinatra's School of the Arts. In the audience were Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Regis Philbin, along with a trio of performers who joined Bennett on-stage at his Radio City concert earlier in the evening: John Ledger, K.D. Lang, and James Taylor.

Clinton explained he was there to auction a watercolor by the singer. He said he and Hilary owned a couple of Benedettos and promised that this one would be worth $150,000 in a few years. The piece soared to $36,000, selling to, ironically, Bill Austin, founder and C.E.O. of Minnesota-based hearing-aid manufacturer Starkey Laboratories.

Sotheby's auctioneer Jamie Niven, standing nearby, congratulated the president on his skill and noted, "We could use you."

As for Mr. Clinton's promises of a climb in Benedetto prices, it's not as far-fetched as it may seem. On Oct. 25, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will host, as one of its fall lectures, "The Art of Tony Bennett."