While emerging MOL i got an error in /usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/portage.py line 3120. It appears there's a typo at that line with S_ISFIF instead of S_ISFIFO. Apparently the bug is also in the ix86 version of that file, but at a different line number (line 3002 in my version).
Fixed in portage 1.9.9