Python is a pretty good choice. It's general enough that you can get stuff done in many environments with it, even though it may not be the absolute best possible choice. It's also pretty quick to develop with.
I kind of prefer Ruby myself, but have no hesitations about recommending Python if that's something you've got experience with.
I would go with Python as well. If you want to play with Web applications, there's Django. If you want to do desktop apps, there's TK. It has a fairly vibrant community, so getting help won't be hard.
There's also a lot of python-specific new developer knowledge out there, like the python version of How to Think Like a Computer Scientist (http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/).
I kind of prefer Ruby myself, but have no hesitations about recommending Python if that's something you've got experience with.