Normally, when someone makes an important decision, thinking through the logistical issues is one of the most critical parts of the process. When thinking about the best way to adjudicate the case of the chief 9/11 plotter, one might have imagined that logistics would have been scrutinizedc closely all along. However, when Katie Couric asked Barack Obama about the reconsideration of the decision made by Eric Holder to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Obama made it sound like logistics is something they only considered in hindsight (via Quite Rightly):

I have not ruled it out, but I think it’s important for us to take into account the practical, logistical issues involved. I mean, if you’ve got a city that’s saying no, and a police department that’s saying no, and a mayor that’s saying no, that makes it difficult.

Aren’t these all issues that should have been addressed before saddling New York City with a trial that its city, mayor, and police department didn’t want?  And when Holder presented Obama with that decision — assuming that Holder made it on his own, as the White House now insists — didn’t it occur to Obama to ask about the logistics of the decision?

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at [email protected] with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!