Here's the thing about reporters. They have strong opinions and, well, they tend to express them.

That means journalists with long careers come with baggage, or if you prefer, an extensive archive of clippings and soundbites.

Mike Duffy had a 35 year career with CBC Radio, CBC TV and CTV before Prime Minister Stephen Harper named him to the Senate yesterday.

Talk about an unexpected guest.

Wednesday afternoon, staffers at the Liberal party's research bureau were preparing to leave work when they paused to take a personal delivery of holiday cookies … from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harper was leaving his own office Christmas party in one of the upstairs boardrooms when he asked someone whether the Liberals also worked in the building.

A platter of dainties was put together and off he went.

A photographer snapped some unlikely shots of Harper with Liberal staffers. Jokes were exchanged and then Harper was off, up the chimney. Uh, I mean downstairs with his full security detail.

— Alison Crawford

Apparently, holiday greetings from political parties are just a little more, well, self-involved this year.

Log on to the NDP's website for instance and you discover that you can send out an e-card greeting of your own, albeit with an NDP-inspired message.

Here's a bit of what they say: "All I want for Christmas is for MPs to work together to kick-start the economy."

The message goes on about Stephen Harper's plan for the economy (or what the NDP calls the lack thereof). Then it moves on to the plan the opposition parties are offering.

— Rosemary Barton

Apparently, Michael Ignatieff thinks I'm his friend. Today, he sent me an e-mail.

Michael wanted to let me know that over the past two weeks, Canadians have witnessed a remarkable series of events on the national stage.

Michael went on for a little bit (he used to be professor, and you know how they can ramble) and then he surprised me. Michael Ignatieff asked me for money.

James Cudmore

Stephen Harper's former chief of staff is going to work for one of Canada's largest public relations firms.

Ian Brodie ran the prime minister's office for two years before leaving early in 2008. In that role, he was privy to all the major policy files and the government's internal decision-making.

Chris Hall

To coalesce or not to coalesce?

That is the question of the day here on Parliament Hill.

Well, one of them anyway.

So, here's some background you might find interesting.

There have been no talks in recent days between the two main parties in the proposed coalition, the NDP and the Liberals.

— Rosemary Barton

It was Michael Ignatieff who said it first.

Well, this version anyway: "A coalition if necessary, but not necessarily a coalition."

Since then, Liberal MPs are spouting it roundly at caucus ins and outs.

It is perhaps useful, then, to remember that Ignatieff's comment is not quite an original thought.

It is borrowed heavily from a defining moment in Canadian history.

— Rosemary Barton

Whoever said Ottawa was dull? Here is a quick run down of what reporters, in this bureau at least, have covered over the past three months:

-a federal election call
-a federal election campaign
-a new minority government
-a Liberal leadership resignation (although partial in nature)
-the beginnings of Liberal leadership race
-a new Conservative cabinet
-a speech from the throne
-an economic meltdown
-international meetings to deal with said the economic meltdown
-a full-dress economic update in Parliament
-a political showdown
-a reversal of many of policies in the economic update
-a continued political showdown

In what is turning into a very busy political scene here in Ottawa, there is still, it seems, time for Christmas cheer.

MPs are lined up in Parliament's rotunda to tape and record their holiday messages to their ridings.

They can deliver them off the cuff or read from prepared versions. There are also four or five sample messages that MPs can employ. All they have to do is insert their particulars.

This service used to be free for MPs, but in belt-tightening times there now is a charge.

Luckily for our parliamentarians, the Brewers Association and Telus stepped up to the Christmas tree so that MPs could continue the tradition freely.

None of the samples include news of the current coalition talk facing those same politicians.

If you tuned in Wednesday night to watch and listen to the statements of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Stephane Dion, you waited almost 25 minutes to hear Dion's response.

The networks' plan was to run the Liberal leader's response one minute after the prime minister finished.

Both parties agreed to deliver a tape to CBC to be fed to all networks.

The tape from the Prime Minister's Office arrived before 6:30 in the evening. However, the tape from Dion's office did not arrive until just after 7:15 and then it needed to be dubbed because both English and French versions were on the one tape.

All of this meant the tape could not be played to a waiting audience until almost 7:30.

The government may be in crisis, its future uncertain.

The prime minister may be about to address the nation, meet with the Governor General and even prorogue the House.

But it is still the holiday season.

- Rosemary Barton

People watching question period today must have thought, well, there is fire in the prime minister's belly yet.

First answer and Stephen Harper was on his feet and dealt a fiery response to Stephane Dion.

The passion on both sides was making it difficult to hear the content.

- Rosemary Barton

More criticism today of the government's doomed economic and fiscal statement of last week.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer has also looked over the numbers and found a few problems.

Most notably, the PBO pokes a hole in the Conservative argument that the government has already injected plenty of stimulus into the economy.

It is says "the economic impacts of these previously-announced fiscal measures are already reflected in private sector economic forecasts and therefore will not likely provide an additional boost to the economy."

The report goes on to add that the government's moves to tighten its belt and reduce spending could make things worse because it "would have mildly contractionary impact on the Canadian economy."

— James Fitz-Morris

Adding to the almost festive air in the Commons, BQ leader Gilles Duceppe stood up for his first question — to wild applause from NDP and the Liberals.

The NDP even stood to applaud him. So did at least a handful of Liberals.

The government's answers up to now been full-scale attacks on just how such a disparate group of coalition partners could work together.

As well as pointing out that it would never enter into an agreement with the "separatists."

— Rosemary Barton

Prime Minister Stephen Harper took his seat in the House of Commons and his caucus immediately stood to give him a standing ovation.

Or at least most did.

At least eight backbenchers, including former intergovernmental affairs minister Michael Chong stayed defiantly in their seats. More surprising, two cabinet ministers, Stockwell Day and Rob Nicholson also stayed put.

— Keith Boag

The galleries inside the House of Commons are packed today.

No one wants to miss a minute of what could be a historic event: the formation of a coaliton government.

Want proof of how far along this coalition really is: when Stéphane Dion asked his first question today, the NDP were on their feet to applaud him.

It was not your ordinary day in Parliament.

— Rosemary Barton

It's just before question period on Monday and all signs point to a coalition government between the opposition parties heading full steam ahead.

So how are the Conservatives reacting to this prospect, as they head into the House of Commons?

With a surprising spring in their step.

— Rosemary Barton

As the Liberal caucus broke, the doors stayed open to reveal Stephane Dion shaking hands.

He was at the front of the room, smiling broadly, as many caucus members waited to greet him, a far cry from the mood following the recent election.

This coalition, should it come to pass, will be his last chance to become prime minister.

— Susan Bonner

Maybe it's not all that surprising.

After all, Elections Canada says it exists in a perpetual state of readiness.

But today, looking at the government tenders posted online, it was somewhat startling to see that Elections Canada is in the market for new ballot boxes.

Perhaps the agency is paying close attention to all this talk about toppling the minority Conservative government.

The Conservatives are using this current confidence crisis in Parliament and all the talk of an opposition-led coalition to try to raise a new war chest from their party faithful.

On Saturday night, the chair of the Conservative's fundraising arm sent out an urgent appeal for donations of $100 and $200.

The e-mail from irving Gerstein is entitled: "The privilege to govern must be earned, not taken."

The meeting rooms on Parliament Hill are all booked this morning. All the parties are holding caucus meetings before question period.

Caucus meeting are usually on Wednesdays but after the coalition negotiations of the past few days there is no time to wait.

Getting a bunch of tipsy, talkative journalists to move from the reception to their dinner tables for the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner is never an easy task.

On Saturday night, gallery staffers had an even tougher time. Their calls to "Please take your seats!" rang out for a good 30 minutes or so while reporters, MPs, political staffers and other interested parties could not stop yapping about the slow unravelling of the six-week-old Conservative minority government.

How likely is a coalition? Would the Liberals allow Stephane Dion to lead it? How would the NDP and Libs work with the Bloc? Where did Martha Hall-Findlay get those amazing shoes?