Polls, polls and old news. There are polls and there are polls. Everybody got excited yesterday with the ACNielsen Poll gave Kevin Rudd an approval rating of 65 per cent. Funnily enough, back on January 9, Morgan published a poll that found “Sixty-four per cent of electors approve of the job Mr Rudd is doing as Opposition Leader”.

My funny valentine. The things demoted ministers are forced to do for publicity. Minister for Human Services Ian Campbell yesterday issued a media release titled “Help for you and your new valentine’s family”.

Separated at birth?  Is Peter Costello related to Irish songster Luka Bloom?

The next NSW Liberal leader? Just when you think NSW Liberals can’t get any odder, we’ve stumbled across the homepage of political camp follower John Boyle. The more self indulgent photos section features pictures of Boyle with various Liberal stars from the PM and the Treasurer down. And a few shots of Lyenko Urbanchich . And one of Gerry Adams, presumably for balance. There’s a link to the Conservative Campaign Council , too. It aims “To recruit 50 Millionaires who will each be allocated one Federal electorate. And each to personally ensure that the Booths in that Federal Electorate are fully staffed with competent and enthusiastic anti republican workers (whether paid or unpaid) on the Polling day. (The $50m total aims to match the combined Wren(sic)/Turdbull (sic) wealth and associated foreign government and media mogul contributions to traduce Australia.)” Just to top it all off, visitors are also pointed off to the British Israelite World Federation Australia. This happy band want “To teach and give instruction in the origin, history and destiny of the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic People, as the true descendants of the Israelites of the Holy Bible; (whether within the British Isles, the British Commonwealth, Western Europe, the United States of America or Australia).” The bloke sounds like the perfect potential NSW Liberal leader once Pete the Dud loses on March 24.

Pru does the numbers. “Star Liberal recruit Pru Goward fought hard to get the numbers for a tilt at State Parliament,” the SMH ’s Stay In Touch column reports today. “Now it seems she’s been given all the wrong ones.” Indeed. A mailout from the probable future frontbencher gets the election timing wrong – along with the phone number for her Moss Vale campaign office.

Obama’s substance issues. Forget the stories about nose candy and dope. Michelle Obama has told CBS’ 60 Minutes that says she agreed to help her husband run for president on one condition: that he finally quit smoking. For good.