Ethel Kennedy, who died today at 96, accompanied her husband Robert Kennedy on his whistle-stop campaign train tours when he ran for president in 1968.

Edward Segal's new bestselling book, "Whistle-Stop Politics," features the following story about her and her husband on one of their train trips:

"In 1968, while Robert Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, were traveling on his campaign train in Indiana, several of the reporters who regularly covered Kennedy were busy in the club car composing their own version of 'The Wabash Cannonball,' recalled Jules Witcover in his book '85 Days: The Last Campaign of Robert Kennedy.'

"Among the lyricists were [Warren] Rogers, Dave Broder, Dave Halberstam of Harper's magazine, Jack Germond of the Gannett Newspapers, and Dave Breasted of the New York Daily News, who just happened to have his guitar along. "Before the train had reached Fort Wayne, this singularly motley crew had seven verses whipped up, all dedicated to the candidate. He and Ethel came into the press car, a pack of aides behind them, and were serenaded by Breasted as he strummed his guitar and twanged out the ersatz epic."

"The song began:

Oh, listen to the speeches that baffle, beef and bore

As he waffles through the woodlands, and slides along the shore

He's the politician who's touched by one and all

He's the demon driver of the Ruthless Cannonball "

"The Kennedys took the saga in good spirit,' Witcover wrote, 'applauding at the end. 'The Ruthless Cannonball' became the press theme song for the Kennedy campaign," Witcover said.

For more stories and anecdotes about whistle-stopping politicians and their wives, you can buy a copy of "Whistle-Stop Politics" wherever books are sold.  Or learn more at WhistleStopPolitics.com.