I have the following code:

import urllib
u = 'http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9216417'
h = urllib.urlopen(u).read()
print h
# Get an empty string
#(can use urllib2 also - get the same behavior)

If I visit the same page with my browser, get the contents of the page
(after some redirects...)

This is what happens on the trunk:

>>> import urllib
>>> u = 'http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9216417'
>>> h = urllib.urlopen(u).read()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/temp/python/trunk/Lib/ssl.py", line 333, in read
data = self._sslobj.read(recv_size)
ssl.SSLError: [Errno 8] _ssl.c:1276: EOF occurred in violation of protocol

Here is my analysis:

>>> import urllib2
>>> url = "http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9216417"
>>> content = urllib2.urlopen(url).read()
>>> print content

>>> opened = urllib2.urlopen(url)
>>> print opened.geturl()
https://secure.passport.mnginteractive.com/mngi/servletDispatch/ErightsPassportServlet.dyn?url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9216417?nclick_check=1&forced=true

# This URL Redirection is a 302 Redirection. 
# Browser is "unable" to launch the redirected site.
https://secure.passport.mnginteractive.com/mngi/servletDispatch/ErightsPassportServlet.dyn?url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9216417?nclick_check=1&forced=true
# Logically, the urllib /urllib2 is giving a Blank when reading this site.

I would't entire say urllib2's fault before understanding how FF is
handling the redirection of the first site.
1) Open the site mentioned in the Location of 302, you will experience
the same behaviour as 302.

It seems more of an issue at server end, we have to know how, Firefox is
handling at the first place.

I verified the behaviour but this is a problem with that particular
site, not with urllib/urllib2.

Should be closed.