Journalistic ethics at the NY Times?

What's with this: Ron Suskind wrote an anti-Bush book using disgraced Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill as his foil. The NY Times then commissions Suskind to review Karen Hughes' book in the Times' Book Review. That is an editorial subterfuge to set up a criticism of the President through the book review. Bad ethics by the Times. [hat-tip, Kausfiles].