distutils won't add data file to package dir

[Michael Mell]

according to the thread at
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/distutils-sig/2000-May/001093.html
it is advised to put static data files in the package directory of a  
Python application.

distutils seems to refuse to do this unless the file has a .py  
extension.
My data file, appropriately, has a .txt extension. It is listed in the  
MANIFEST.

 > python setup.py install
simply ignores the data file.

Here is my setup.py
+ + + + + + + +
from distutils.core import setup

setup (name="Elements",
	author="Mike Mell",
	author_email="mike at nthwave.net",
	url="http://www.nthwave.net/elements/",
	version="1.1.1",
	packages=['Elements']
	)
+ + + + + + + +
I've tried several variations on this.

The data_files option is not appropriate here. As the docs say [1],  
using the data_files option places the data file in sys.prefix -- which  
is definitely not site-packages/Elements.

What am I doing wrong?

thx,
mike

[1]  
http://python.org/doc/current/dist/setup- 
script.html#SECTION000350000000000000000