diff --git a/lib/ansible/connection.py b/lib/ansible/connection.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..8f57f61aee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/ansible/connection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# (c) 2012, Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>
+#
+# This file is part of Ansible
+#
+# Ansible is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# Ansible is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with Ansible.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+
+################################################
+
+import paramiko
+import exceptions
+    
+################################################
+
+class Connection(object):
+    ''' Handles abstract connections to remote hosts '''
+
+    def __init__(self, runner, transport):
+        self.runner = runner
+        self.transport = transport
+
+    def connect(self, host):
+        conn = None
+        if self.transport == 'paramiko':
+            conn = ParamikoConnection(self.runner, host)
+        if conn is None:
+            raise Exception("unsupported connection type")
+        return conn.connect()
+
+
+################################################
+
+class AnsibleConnectionException(exceptions.Exception):
+    ''' Subclass of exception for catching in Runner() code '''
+
+    def __init__(self, value):
+        self.value = value
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return repr(self.value)
+
+################################################
+# want to implement another connection type?
+# follow duck-typing of ParamikoConnection
+# you may wish to read config files in __init__
+# if you have any.  Paramiko does not need any.
+
+class ParamikoConnection(object):
+    ''' SSH based connections with Paramiko '''
+
+    def __init__(self, runner, host):
+        self.ssh = None
+        self.runner = runner
+        self.host = host
+
+    def connect(self):
+        ''' connect to the remote host '''
+
+        self.ssh = paramiko.SSHClient()
+        self.ssh.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
+        try:
+            self.ssh.connect(
+                self.host, 
+                username=self.runner.remote_user, 
+                allow_agent=True,
+                look_for_keys=True, 
+                password=self.runner.remote_pass, 
+                timeout=self.runner.timeout
+            )
+        except Exception, e:
+            raise AnsibleConnectionException(str(e))
+        return self
+
+    def exec_command(self, cmd):
+        ''' run a command on the remote host '''
+
+        stdin, stdout, stderr = self.ssh.exec_command(cmd)
+        return (stdin, stdout, stderr)
+
+    def put_file(self, in_path, out_path):
+        ''' transfer a file from local to remote '''
+
+        sftp = self.ssh.open_sftp()
+        sftp.put(in_path, out_path)
+        sftp.close()
+
+    def close(self):
+        ''' terminate the connection '''
+
+        self.ssh.close()
+
+############################################
+# add other connection types here
+
+
diff --git a/lib/ansible/runner.py b/lib/ansible/runner.py
index 1c9ef89caf..4bf3aae62e 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/runner.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/runner.py
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ import multiprocessing
 import signal
 import os
 import ansible.constants as C 
+import ansible.connection
 import Queue
 import random
-import paramiko
 import jinja2
 from ansible.utils import *
     
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         background=0,
         basedir=None,
         setup_cache={},
+        transport='paramiko',
         verbose=False):
     
         ''' 
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ class Runner(object):
 
         random.seed()
         self.generated_jid = str(random.randint(0, 999999999999))
+        self.connector = ansible.connection.Connection(self, transport)
 
     @classmethod
     def parse_hosts(cls, host_list):
@@ -159,19 +161,13 @@ class Runner(object):
 
     def _connect(self, host):
         ''' 
-        obtains a paramiko connection to the host.
+        obtains a connection to the host.
         on success, returns (True, connection) 
         on failure, returns (False, traceback str)
         '''
-        ssh = paramiko.SSHClient()
-        ssh.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
         try:
-            # try paramiko
-            ssh.connect(host, username=self.remote_user, allow_agent=True, 
-              look_for_keys=True, password=self.remote_pass, timeout=self.timeout)
-            return [ True, ssh ]
-        except Exception, e:
-            # it failed somehow, return the failure string
+            return [ True, self.connector.connect(host) ]
+        except ansible.connection.AnsibleConnectionException, e:
             return [ False, "FAILED: %s" % str(e) ]
 
     def _return_from_module(self, conn, host, result):
@@ -195,9 +191,7 @@ class Runner(object):
     def _transfer_file(self, conn, source, dest):
         ''' transfers a remote file '''
         self.remote_log(conn, 'COPY remote:%s local:%s' % (source, dest))
-        sftp = conn.open_sftp()
-        sftp.put(source, dest)
-        sftp.close()
+        conn.put_file(source, dest)
 
     def _transfer_module(self, conn, tmp, module):
         ''' 
@@ -217,7 +211,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         if type(args) == list:
             args = [ str(x) for x in module_args ]
             args = " ".join(args)
-        inject_vars = self.setup_cache.get(conn._host,{})
+        inject_vars = self.setup_cache.get(conn.host,{})
 
         # the metadata location for the setup module is transparently managed
         # since it's an 'internals' module, kind of a black box. See playbook
@@ -250,7 +244,7 @@ class Runner(object):
         # run AFTER setup use these variables for templating when executed
         # from playbooks
         if self.module_name == 'setup':
-            host = conn._host
+            host = conn.host
             try:
                 var_result = json.loads(result)
             except:
@@ -351,7 +345,6 @@ class Runner(object):
         if not ok:
             return [ host, False, conn ]
 
-        conn._host = host           
         tmp = self._get_tmp_path(conn)
         result = None
         if self.module_name not in [ 'copy', 'template' ]:
@@ -397,9 +390,7 @@ class Runner(object):
             os.path.join(self.module_path, module)
         )
         out_path = tmp + module
-        sftp = conn.open_sftp()
-        sftp.put(in_path, out_path)
-        sftp.close()
+        conn.put_file(in_path, out_path)
         return out_path
 
     def match_hosts(self, pattern):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils.py b/lib/ansible/utils.py
index 29f37bdd22..1a39e9d7f5 100755
--- a/lib/ansible/utils.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils.py
@@ -54,9 +54,9 @@ def task_start_msg(name, conditional):
 def regular_generic_msg(hostname, result, oneline, caption):
     ''' output on the result of a module run that is not command '''
     if not oneline:
-        return "%s | %s >>\n%s" % (hostname, caption, bigjson(result))
+        return "%s | %s >> %s\n" % (hostname, caption, bigjson(result))
     else:
-        return "%s | %s >> %s" % (hostname, caption, smjson(result))
+        return "%s | %s >> %s\n" % (hostname, caption, smjson(result))
 
 def regular_success_msg(hostname, result, oneline):
     ''' output the result of a successful module run '''
@@ -135,9 +135,9 @@ def dark_hosts_msg(results):
     ''' summarize the results of all uncontactable hosts '''
     buf = ''
     if len(results['dark'].keys()) > 0:
-        buf += "*** Hosts which could not be contacted or did not respond: ***"
+        buf += "\n*** Hosts which could not be contacted or did not respond: ***\n"
         for hostname in results['dark'].keys():
-            buf += "%s:\n%s\n" % (hostname, results['dark'][hostname])
+            buf += "%s: %s\n" % (hostname, results['dark'][hostname])
     buf += "\n"
     return buf