I want to remove as much complexity as I can from administering Python in on Amazon EC2 following some truly awful experiences with hosting providers who claim support for Python.  I am looking for some guidance on which AMI to choose so that I have a stable and easily managed environment which already included Python and ideally an Apache web server and a database.  
I am agnostic to Python version, web server, DB and OS as I am still early enough in my development cycle that I can influence those choices.  Cost is not a consideration (within bounds) so Windows will work fine if it means easy administration.
Anyone have any practical experience or recommendations they can share?
If you can get by with using the Amazon provided ones, I'd recommend it. I tend to use ami-84db39ed.
Honestly though, if you plan on leaving this running all the time, you would probably save a bit of money by just going with a VPS. Amazon tends to be cheaper if you are turning the service on and off over time.
Can you recommend an Amazon AMI for Python?