The father of 9/11 hero Todd Beamer, like many of us, is appalled by Eric Holder’s performance this week and by his inability to answer probing questions by senators:

The attorney general seemed bewildered in the face of these inquiries. Recurring themes in his responses included “I think,” and “I can’t imagine,” and “I am not an expert in immigration.”

Has our attorney general not considered these issues, or imagined the possible unintended consequences that will arise from his historic decision? It certainly seemed that way. If he had, he would have had better answers.

A second shocker: Mr. Holder said that he and his boss had not spoken in person about this decision. This matter only involves upholding the constitutional rights of Americans, establishing a precedent with battlefield impact, and the safety and security of our citizens in a time of war. What are the criteria to make something a priority with President Barack Obama? How can it be that this matter didn’t make the cut?

There are many other 9/11 families, not to mention millions of Americans, who must be thinking the same thing. The decision to snatch KSM from a confession in a military commission and place him in a civilian courtroom instead was bad enough, but the cavalier attitude and lack of preparedness in defending the decision is, on some level, even more worrisome. It suggests a failure to perceive how out of touch with the country the lefty lawyers in the Justice Department truly are. And it leaves us wondering how seriously the administration really takes the very real potential for a PR bonanza for KSM. One is left mystified. Who is running the show? Is there no one within Justice to raise troubling issues, or have all those who never drank the Kool Aid been banished or intimidated?

The administration badly misjudged the implications of and public reaction to the plan to close Guantanamo. The Obami seem to have learned nothing and instead, with even less preparation and regard for public opinion, have doubled down, perhaps unleashing the wrath of not simply the 9/11 families but also of a large segment of the country. They did not think this through. They — and we — will suffer the consequences.