Python strings and coding conventions

[Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:48:21 -0800, Mensanator wrote:

> Damn! I didn't know you could do that! And if I saw it in a program
> listing, such would never occur to me. I was going to suggest the stupid
> way:
> 
>>>> ga = ['four score and seven years ago ', \
>           'our fathers brought forth ', \
>           'on this continent a new nation ', \
>           'conceived in liberty and dedicated ', \
>           'to the proposition that all men ', \
>           'are created equal']

What are all those line continuation characters ('\') for?  You are aware 
that they are unnecessary here?

Ciao,
	Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch