The normally spineless House ethics committee rebuked Majority Leader Tom DeLay Thursday for trying to buy the vote of another member of Congress with a political favor.

It took the committee six months to judge the actions. During the vote on the Medicare prescription drug plan, DeLay offered to support Rep. Nick Smith’s son in a bid for Congress if Smith would change his vote and support the measure. Smith, who is retiring from the House, refused. His son, who was attempting to succeed him, lost in the Republican primary.

The Medicare bill, which was hotly contested, passed the House by a narrow margin after Republican leaders ignored normal voting procedures and placed tremendous pressure upon party members to vote yes.

According to the report from the ethics committee, DeLay violated House rules by offering a quid pro quo to Smith for his vote.

Unlike most House committees, the ethics panel is equally split between Democrats and Republicans. In recent years, there has been a dtente between the parties, with neither side actively pursuing complaints. The DeLay admonishment could mark an end to the truce.

DeLay’s actions were clearly inappropriate. He attempted to buy the vote of a member of Congress. It’s a serious matter.

For DeLay, who earned his nickname of “The Hammer” for his ability to twist arms and maintain party discipline, the troubles don’t end with the finding. Three DeLay aides working in his Texas political machine have been indicted on another matter, and there is a second complaint concerning the congressman still being investigated by the ethics committee. In that case, DeLay is accused of inappropriately using his authority.

Holding to its entrenched ways of giving members of Congress a pass, the ethics committee recommended no further action on his action in the Smith case, and it timed the release of its report to the first presidential debate, knowing that the attention of much of the political world was on Florida.

Nonetheless, the report shows that even a toothless guard dog can bark – at least a little.