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Carping about losing a close game or a big contract can easily be dismissed as bad sportsmanship or sour grapes. When $35 billion, the future of a company and the foundation of a regional economy are at stake, it’s neither.

The Boeing Co. protested the bid process that resulted in the United States Air Force’s recommendation that Northrop Grumman be given the contract for a new refueling tanker. The company’s challenge was widely supported in Washington state, less so in other parts of the country. It turns out Boeing had reason to risk being perceived as a poor loser.

The federal General Accounting Office found what it called “significant errors” in its review of the bid process. The GAO report was a matter-of-fact dissection of a decision-making process that was, to put it nicely, flawed. Skewed and manipulated might also be appropriate descriptions. That is exactly the kind of spotlight that the GAO is intended to cast on federal activities.

Starting the bid process over, with equal footing for everyone involved, is the only way to reach a final choice that is transparently sound and fairly arrived at. Boeing may not prevail, but at least the company should have a chance to make its case in a proscribed process that meets taxpayers’ expectations for an equitable decision.

• Editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the editorial board and are written by its members: Publisher L. Stedem Wood, Editor Don Nelson and City Editor Dick Clever.