setuptools should not be required to install docutils. We have noticed some performance problems due to the way setuptools handles namespace lookups when importing packages, see http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=db6b5ecc0708180944y41f4eafeh95760fafbd7b7651%40mail.gmail.com, I think it would be best to hold off on adding setuptools as a dependency where a package can get by without it. Reproducible: Always
Ditto as Bug 197632; this is intended and not a bug.