Installing certain Python Packages fails

[David A. Cobb]

Running Breezy, kernel 2.6.12.
Every attempt to install certain Python packages ends badly with the
following DPKG output:
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<ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1 on
/usr type xfs (rw)
Setting up python2.4-sqlobject (0.6-1ubuntu2) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-sqlobject (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of python-sqlobject:
 python-sqlobject depends on python2.4-sqlobject; however:
  Package python2.4-sqlobject is not configured yet.
dpkg: error processing python-sqlobject (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Setting up python2.4-gdchart2 (0.beta1-2ubuntu1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-gdchart2 (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-kinterbasdb (3.0.1-6ubuntu1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-kinterbasdb (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-lxml (0.7-0ubuntu1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-lxml (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-maxdb (7.5.00.30-3) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-maxdb (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-pychart (1.37-1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-pychart (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-pylib (0.7.20050829-0ubuntu1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-pylib (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-pyx (0.7.1-1ubuntu2) ...
ln: `/usr/share/doc/python2.4-pyx/examples/examples': File exists
dpkg: error processing python2.4-pyx (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Setting up python2.4-tz (2005m-1) ...
Compiling
/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py ...
  File
"/usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/py/test/testing/data/syntax_error.py",
line 3
    this is really not python
                            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

dpkg: error processing python2.4-tz (--configure):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 python2.4-sqlobject
 python-sqlobject
 python2.4-gdchart2
 python2.4-kinterbasdb
 python2.4-lxml
 python2.4-maxdb
 python2.4-pychart
 python2.4-pylib
 python2.4-pyx
 python2.4-tz
/dev/ide/host0/bus0/target1/lun0/part1 on /usr type xfs (ro)
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Ack!  Something bad happened while installing packages.  Trying to recover:

After which it tries to do the same thing with its fingers crossed --
and gets the same result.
With a name like "syntax_error.py" it probably isn't a great idea to
"fix" that file.  

Can anyone give me a clue what is going on here?
Thank you!