THERE are murmurs around the halls of parliament about Deputy PM Julia Gillard dropping the word "deputy" from her title.
The murmurs may be quiet but the possibility is more real than most appreciate.
Because as the Coalition has reeled in and now overtaken the Government in the opinion polls, Labor's position starts to mirror that of the Howard Government ahead of the 2007 election: it will win if it sacks its leader.
History shows the Liberals didn't have the courage. We will discover in the next fortnight whether or not Labor has, as a plan to remove Rudd would have to be executed by next Thursday - the last day parliament sits until late August.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott would much rather face off against Rudd, whose nerdy schoolboy image accentuates Abbott's down-to-earth qualities.
The question seems not to be whether Gillard could dispose of Rudd - the numbers within the party are with her - but whether she is prepared to.
It would be a messy job.
Rudd is the man who led the party from 11 years in the wilderness.
He first began to come to real prominence as shadow minister for foreign affairs, when he spoke so eloquently against the Iraq war prior to our invasion of that country.
He outwitted one of the most cunning political minds of our time in former PM John Howard.
Now Rudd couldn't sell a snag for the Lions Club out the front of Bunnings on Saturday.
He couldn't sell the emissions trading scheme or the mining super profits tax either.
As one within the Labor camp privately puts it: "All he has to sell to the people is 'We're taking some profit from these fat billionaires and giving it to you.' Who couldn't sell that?"
And Gillard could wash her hands of many of the Government's current woes by dismissing them as Rudd policies and promises.
The roofing insulation scheme would be thought of as a Rudd mess, the super profits tax could be compromised on, and the Rudd emissions trading scheme could be dealt with after the election.
Mr Rudd's support from the front bench and the ministry remains firm - for now.
A bad poll result on Monday would make for a very interesting week.
