Rand Paul's injuries more severe than previously thought. 'Unclear' when he'll return to D.C.

Long time readers will know that I'm a big fan of Senator Rand Paul. He's a guy who's built a career around the fact that every decision he makes is informed by the Constitution. Almost without fail, his votes champion small government, limited federal power, individual liberty and personal responsibility. In short, he's everything conservatives claim they want, even if some folks tend to get in a huff when he doesn't toe the Republican line. Regardless of political affiliation, no one here at "The Cain" wants to see anyone in Congress suffer physical violence. We may vehemently disagree with people, but we wish no one harm. Given that he's one of the few reliable constitutionalists in Congress, I was deeply saddened to hear that Senator Paul was attacked at his home over the weekend.

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Details are still coming in, but it seems Paul was mowing his lawn when he found himself on the receiving end of a blindside tackle. His neighbor, 59-year-old Rene Boucher, has been arrested, charged with assault, and released on a $7500.00 bond. The motive has yet to be determined. Aside from the fact that a U.S. Senator was assaulted, the incident was initially presented as "no big deal." Paul was shaken, and had apparently sustained some minor bruises, but was otherwise fine. Now, we're learning that wasn't really the case. Paul's condition is substantially worse than first reported. He's suffered 5 broken ribs, bruised lungs, and is facing a months-long recovery. From the Washington Post:

Sen. Rand Paul is recovering from five broken ribs and bruises to his lungs, and it is unclear when he will return to Washington, aides said Sunday, signaling that injuries he sustained Friday are far more severe than initially thought. Paul made his first public comments since the incident on Sunday, tweeting that his wife “Kelley and I appreciate the overwhelming support after Friday’s unfortunate event. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.”

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Doug Stafford, Paul’s chief of staff, said in a statement Sunday that the senator has five rib fractures, including three displaced fractures, meaning the bones are partly or completely cracked. “This type of injury is caused by high velocity severe force. It is not clear exactly how soon he will return to work, as the pain is considerable as is the difficulty in getting around, including flying,” Stafford said. Paul has lung contusions, or bruises, caused by the broken ribs, Stafford said. He could not say whether one lung was bruised or both, but said Paul’s recovery could last several months. Such fractures can cause other significant medical problems, including internal bleeding, damage to other organs or pneumonia. We wish Senator Paul a speedy recovery and look forward to his return to the Senate. After all, we need to see more of this....

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