Just a couple of weeks ago, President Obama bragged that his was the most transparent administration in history, an oft-cited point.

Just a couple of moments ago, President Obama finished an address to members of the the National Governors Association at the White House by saying, “What I want to do is clear out the press so we can take some questions.”

Seems there’s a contest of sorts going on within the White House: Who can fashion the most Orwellian quote regarding open government? Here’s the quote that Obama had to beat, from White House counterterrorism chief John O. Brennan at his confirmation hearing to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency: “What we need to do is optimize transparency on these issues, but at the same time, optimize secrecy and the protection of our national security.”