python framework for users/roles ?

[infobot]

Does Python have a framework for users and roles ?  I'm guessing most
of us have User-Management utilities as part of any multi-user, non-web
based application. I don't know how many times I've rolled my own 
users/roles/groups/policies, each time different - but there has to
be a better way.

In anticipation of a one-word response - "LDAP" - let me explain further.
Whilst extending an LDAP schema might allow me to use an LDAP server 
to manage the users & groups for an application that I'm building, 
somebody else wishing to use said application might have a different
(non-LDAP) user-management system already in place. 

eg. Zope has a good security framework that is shared by all 
applications built for Zope. Does something similar exist for 
Python apps ? 

Sorry if I haven't made myself clear.

chas