Python 2.6 is available in EPEL5 [1]. It runs in parallel, so the default remains the same, but it's better than nothing.
[1]: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Python26#Available_Packages_fo...
[1]: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Python26#Available_Packages_fo...
Nobody stops you for shipping system tools with Python 2.2 if that is what you want. But don't step on my toes and tell me that I can't install 2.6 and set it as the default one.
If you do that you give me a license to call you names.