No syntax highlighting in python mode

[Tim Johnson]

I'm using GNU Emacs 23.1.1 on Slackware linux 13.0 32-bit.
Syntax highlighting does not work. The only thing highlighted are
strings. Not even function definitions.

I've tried add-hook with 
(setq font-lock-maximum-decoration 
  '((python-mode . 3)))

I've started emacs with a python file and --debug-init
with no messages that suggest any type of error.

c-h, v font-lock-maximum-decoration gives me 
[no match]

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Other programming 
modes work fine. Other python mode functions appear to
work as expected.

thanks

-- 
Tim 
tim@ johnsons-web.com||akwebsoft.com
http://www.akwebsoft.com