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Sometimes it’s what you do. Other times it’s what THEY do to you. And when THEY do something to you and you still come out smiling, you take a victory lap. A screaming, burning donuts in the infield, churning black smoke out of the tailpipe victory lap. Such is the case with Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, who was found NOT GUILTY on all counts Wednesday of campaign fraud. Oh, and did I mention the jury deliberated for 45 minutes? FORTY-FIVE minutes!!!! The prosecutor said in his opening “we will show that Mr. McLaughlin used his campaign account as his personal piggy bank.” After 45 minutes of deliberation, the jury responded ‘nope, you DIDN’T show us that, and you wasted our time. Now we’d like to get home before the snow starts falling.’ The jury did their duty, and then they went gently into that good night. Steve McLaughlin will NOT go gently however, nor should he. They came for him, and they came for him in a very weak way while acting like they were big tough Johnny Laws. And they were wrong. Fire up the Mustang or the Corvette Steve, you got a victory lap to take. And I expect the wheels will be smokin’ and some rubber will be burnin’ while you’re doing it.