Dion song captures Clinton vote

Ms Clinton had suggested U2, Dixie Chicks and Jesus Jones songs

US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has announced that her campaign song will be Celine Dion's You and I after a month-long public vote on her website.

The strident ballad was nominated by a member of the public, and beat all of Ms Clinton's campaign song suggestions, such as U2's Beautiful Day.

The New York senator announced the winner in a video parodying the final episode of US TV drama The Sopranos.

Dion's song was previously used as a theme tune for Air Canada.

Personal connection

It features the lines, "You and I, we're meant to fly. Higher than the clouds we'll sail across the sky".

The selection of Dion, who was born in Canada, resulted in accusations from some Republicans that Clinton had "outsourced" her music.

About 200,000 votes were cast to choose the song, which beat choices like The Temptations' Get Ready, Smash Mouth's I'm A Believer and Dixie Chicks' Ready to Run.

Warning: the remainder of this story contains plot spoilers for The Sopranos

The result was revealed in a light-hearted online video, which mimicked the unconventional final scene of The Sopranos.

Ms Hillary Clinton, like Tony Soprano, is seen spinning through the musical selections of a jukebox while seated in a diner in the New York suburbs.

Ms Clinton is one of many candidates to use the web

Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, sits down at the booth and quizzes her about the campaign and the song contest winner.

"So what's the winning song?" he asks.

"You'll see," Ms Clinton answers.

"My money is on Smash Mouth," replies the former President. "Everybody in America wants to know how it's gonna end."

The New York senator puts a coin in the jukebox and says: "Ready?"

Buxom model

But instead of the Dion song reverberating around the diner, the screen fades to black - just like the Sopranos.

Viewers are then directed to Ms Clinton's website to find the real winner of the song contest.

Some commentators have seen the competition as part of a strategy to help voters make a personal connection with the New York senator, who some observers say comes across as stilted and cold.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama has been serenaded online

It is one of many attempts by presidential candidates to engage with younger voters using online videos, often peppered with pop culture references.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, has posted a video featuring his wife narrating scenes of their Christmas holiday, when the family reached the decision to pursue the White House.

But Ms Clinton's rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obama, has denied responsibility for a YouTube video which shows a buxom model lip-synching to a racy track called I Got A Crush... On Obama.

"Baby, I cannot wait 'til 2008. Baby, you're the best candidate," she sings in the clip, which has been watched more than a million times.