Nakamura looked pained as he chewed and swallowed. "Well, of course an actual conference would have the legislators in attendance. Or at least their leading office krewe staff, their chiefs of staff, for instance. And of course there are committee meetings , and then subcommittee and committee hearings , generally with sworn witnesses and full coverage.... However, in the modern legislative trend, the drafting of legislation and the budget preparation have fallen to the staff committees. Actual senatorial hearings have become highly mediated events, very formal. It follows that we staffers must have our own conferences. And then, behind those formal scenes, we do find it procedurally necessary to have these conferrals."