cluster_rest_script.py is aborting

Something is newly broken with a test tool for controller jobs, like
this one

the command line being used is this:

python cluster_rest_script.py - 
-host 10.30.170.86 --port 8181 add --itemtype car --itemcount 10000 --ipr 10000

but it's dying with something like this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "cluster_rest_script.py", line 7, in <module>	

the controller jobs using this tool are failing because of it (obviously), but those
jobs for Aluminium are needed to see the health of MRI bump.