diff --git a/requests/__init__.py b/requests/__init__.py
index b6e3841f..5c84046b 100644
--- a/requests/__init__.py
+++ b/requests/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
-from . import packages
-from .core import *
+import packages
+from core import *
+
+
+
diff --git a/requests/core.py b/requests/core.py
index cd2e764c..1de47c10 100644
--- a/requests/core.py
+++ b/requests/core.py
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ class Request(object):
                     self._build_response(resp)
                     self.response.ok = True
 
-                except urllib2.HTTPError as why:
+                except urllib2.HTTPError, why:
                     self._build_response(why)
                     self.response.error = why
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class Request(object):
                     self._build_response(resp)
                     self.response.ok = True
 
-                except urllib2.HTTPError as why:
+                except urllib2.HTTPError, why:
                     self._build_response(why)
                     self.response.error = why
 
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ class Request(object):
                     self._build_response(resp)
                     self.response.ok = True
 
-                except urllib2.HTTPError as why:
+                except urllib2.HTTPError, why:
                     self._build_response(why)
                     self.response.error = why