Sen. Rand Paul has painful injuries, including five fractured ribs, after being assaulted at his Kentucky home Friday and it could be a while before he can go back to work, a spokesman says. Paul "has five rib fractures including three displaced fractures," adviser Doug Stafford said in a statement to the Bowling Green Daily News. "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 the senator is also suffering from lung contusions caused by the displaced fractures, and "this type of injury is also accompanied by severe pain that can last weeks to months."
Police say Paul has told them neighbor Rene Boucher tackled him from behind after coming onto his property in the community of Rivergreen, just east of Bowling Green. Boucher has been charged with fourth-degree assault and could spend up to a year in prison if found guilty. The 59-year-old doctor was released from jail Saturday night on $7,500 bond. No motive for the assault, which apparently blindsided Paul, has been disclosed. Politico reports that if the senator does end up being absent from Washington, DC, for a significant amount of time, it could complicate the legislative agenda of Senate Republicans, who have a slender majority of 52 votes. (More Rand Paul stories.)
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