[Tutor] How to easily recover the current index when using Python-style for loops?

[boB Stepp]

Python 2.4.4, Solaris 10.

a_list = [item1, item2, item3]
for item in a_list:
    print 'Item number', ???, 'is:', item

Is there an easy, clever, Pythonic way (other than setting up a
counter) to replace ??? with the current index of item in a_list?

-- 
boB