$35 BILLION aircraft contract awarded to Northrop-Grumman-EADS — not Boeing

Conventional wisdom was running so strongly against Northrop-EADS in some corners of Capitol Hill that Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s office issued a statement late on Friday declaring Boeing the winner. It was swiftly retracted. [OUCH]

Note the famous Washington media trick — if you have controversial news to make, announce it late on a Friday afternoon.