No language is perfect, and Python is no exception. In Python 2.4, for example, sorting a list of lists sorted by a value in the nested list (more common than you’d think), requires a bit of work and a library:

import operator
max = sorted(list_of_lists, reverse=True, key=operator.itemgetter(1))[0]

Python 2.5 makes things easier:

max = max(list_of_lists, key=lambda x: x[1])

The official Python Wiki has a nice HOWTO on Sorting in Python (also a much less comprehensive one on sorting dictionaries).

(note: OS X Leopard comes w/ Python 2.5 while, Debian Etch remains on 2.4 by default)