By Kenneth Mansion

Kentucky’s representative, junior Senator Rand Paul, was severely injured in a violent assault by Rene Boucher, a neighbor of 17 years and former colleague in medical practice. Contrary to initial reports of “minor” injuries, the senator has tweeted that the final medical report document six broken ribs and a pleural effusion (commonly referred to as “water in lungs”).

Sen Paul, a practising opthalmologist, was attacked on November 3rd just as he got off his lawnmower. Boucher trespassed into the property and caught the senator unaware. Mowing the lawn wearing noise-canceling earmuffs (headphones or earplugs, according to different accounts), Mr Paul wasn’t afforded the luxury to detect the intrusion and react to the one-sided assault as he was brought down in a tackle.

Boucher, allegedly a registered Democrat according to March voter records, had no political motivation, his lawyer insisted. He’s subsequently quoted to have described the situation as “a very regrettable dispute between two neighbors over a matter that most people would regard as trivial.” Mr Paul’s disregard for neighborhood regulation in favor of his gardening endeavor and compost is said to have raised his neighbor’s ire.

Mr Paul, however, apparently was not convinced by the line of reasoning. He’s tweeted two separate articles by Breitbart and Washington Examiner respectively, both of which openly challenge and question the backyard disagreements and the alleged unsavory gardening habits. Mr Boucher’s Facebook activities are also called into suspect, as the posts showed confrontational inclinations toward the Trump adminstration and its political clique, which happens to include Sen Paul.

Also concerning is the already tenuous Republican majority in the Senate will suffer from the absence of the senator. AP has quoted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell describing it as “Maalox moment” and “potentially a challenge,” since the caucus isn’t “always totally in lockstep.”