"We do not want to negotiate anything behind their backs," he said.

I cannot negotiate a peace treaty behind a wall of armed guards.

After being criticized for negotiating the budget largely behind closed doors, the governor has been trying to operate more openly in recent weeks.

In the past, the process was subject to long delays as the Governor and the two top legislative leaders negotiated behind closed doors.

If private insurers offered drug benefits, the pharmaceutical industry could continue to negotiate behind closed doors.

Moreover, most buyers willing to pay top dollar for a property want to negotiate financing and other deal terms behind closed doors.

In New York, the political powers still negotiate behind doors.

"Property owners tend to negotiate their leases behind closed doors," she said.

Negotiating behind closed doors should be a thing of the past. Nor is it any longer acceptable.

His style was to build consensus and negotiate behind closed doors.