Since when is everything best played out in the press or in public. Quite possibly he wanted to have questions from and discussion with just the Governors? Getting rid of the press may allow a more open dialogue.
Since this Press Conference was given in the White House Press Room, that would mean that your statement: "Preceding to go before friendlies like 60 minutes instead of live settings" is a lie.
The president made the remark to members of the National Governors Association at the White House, The Washington Post's Erik Wemple reported. Wemple wrote, "Seems there’s a contest of sorts going on within the White House: Who can fashion the most Orwellian quote regarding open government?"
Then this-
The administration's drone program has also raised concerns about transparency. On Sunday, former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “When I went through the process of becoming press secretary, one of the things, one of the first things they told me was, ‘You’re not even to acknowledge the drone program. You’re not even to discuss that it exists.'”
It seems the left is all for openness until they aren't. Even when the left wing press raises concerns it seems like liberals are willing to put their complete faith and trust in the man even though time and time again he says one thing and dos the other.