>  I tried:
> 
>  class Omega:
>     def Display(self):
>         print self
> 
>  class Alpha(Omega):
>     def __init__(self):
>         self = Beta()
> 
>  class Beta(Omega):
>     def __init__(self):
>         pass
> 
>  objectus = Alpha()
>  objectus.Display()
> 
>  which prints
> 
>  <__main__.Alpha instance at 0x54d50>
> 
>  Background: I need to create a new object upon instantiation when a 
>  database query returns no records. The rest of the program should just 
>  use the new object.

I think you're looking for the "Strategy" design pattern: your class has a 
default behavior, but in a certain case, you want it to switch behaviors 
to something else.

http://www.exciton.cs.rice.edu/JavaResources/DesignPatterns/StrategyPattern.htm

That is, rather than Alpha being a subclass of Omega, Alpha can have an 
instance of Omega:

#########################################
class Alpha:
     def __init__(self):
         self.strategy = DefaultStrategy()

     def display(self):
         self.strategy.display()


class DefaultStrategy:
     def display(self):
         print "I am the default strategy"
#########################################

The advantage here is that the strategy can be swapped out just by setting 
self.strategy to something else.
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