SORTA GUILTY . . . OF SOMETHING

PUT US DOWN as being sick and tired of all those half-admissions of guilt.

The latest sore point: Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback who loves dogs to death, who's set to enter a plea today in federal court on charges related to bloody dogfights held on his property in Virginia.

At first Vick denied the charges, vowing to fight to clear his name. Then his three co-defendants pleaded guilty and were prepared to testify against him. They said Vick, who in 2004 signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons, provided the money needed to run Bad Newz Kennels, and helped to hang, drown or otherwise kill at least eight fighting dogs that underperformed.

So the QB called an audible. He chose to enter a guilty plea . . . to one count of "conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activity" and to "sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture." As for killing the dogs, he agrees that they "all died as a result of the collective efforts" of his and several co-defendants'.

"Collective efforts." What an oily phrase. And, by the way, Vick denies gambling. Doesn't want that on his record - it would ruin his chances of playing in the NFL again. (Though we wouldn't be surprised if some team owner, with visions of a Super Bowl or increased ticket sales dancing in his head, decided to take a chance on him later.)

It's the weasel phrases like "collective efforts" and "we deny any wrongdoing" instead of "yes, I'm responsible" that bug us. It reflects the ever-growing tendency for people to half-admit guilt ("if I have offended anybody, I'm sorry") and think that should suffice.

TWO LOCAL auto dealerships made their own contribution to this phenomenon the other day.

In a consent decree announced last week, Pacifico Ford and Springfield Ford agreed to pay a total of $457,700 plus interest to the black customers to whom they charged higher interest rates on auto loans than white customers. As part of the settlement, the dealerships denied any wrongdoing.

So you fork over nearly a half million dollars, but did nothing wrong?

We could go on about the other recent instances of star justice: Lindsay Lohan cops a plea on drunk-driving and drug charges and gets one day in jail. Nicole Richie spends 82 minutes in jail (of a four-day sentence) for driving under the influence of drugs.

And, again closer to home, the owner and operator of Pier 34, which collapsed into the Delaware in 2000 and killed three young women, entered guilty pleas and were sentenced to - house arrest.

Today, our star-crossed culture too often allows expediency, money, phony contrition and denials of wrongdoing to replace a full admission of guilt, or a geniune show of remorse.

Michael Vick's half-baked guilty plea is just another end-around play that avoids the experience of meaningful justice - and perpetuates the problem. *