Report: Sen. Rand Paul’s Neighbor Attacked Him Over ‘Some Sort Of Planting Or Flora Issue’

A few days ago, Sen. Rand Paul’s 59-year-old neighbor Rene Boucher tackled Paul from behind. Reports initially said Paul suffered “minor” injuries, but they turned out to be not-so-minor after all. He has five broke ribs, including three displaced fractures which, according to the AP, “can lead to life-threatening injuries.”

He’s having a difficult time moving, and they’re not exactly sure when he’ll return to work.

Everyone– myself included– assumed Boucher’s action was politically motivated. He’s a registered Democrat. The FBI has opened an investigation and is hoping to identify a clear motive. A lot of people believe the attack was inspired by the health care debate. But according to some neighbors, this started as a landscaping feud. I kid you not.

Two Kentuckians tell me Rand’s neighborhood fracas stemmed from a dispute over some sort of planting or flora issue around the properties

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) November 6, 2017

Um…seriously? Yes. Seriously. NYT has an entire article on it.

The violent altercation last week that left Senator Rand Paul nursing bruised lungs and broken ribs began over a landscaping dispute between the senator and his longtime next-door neighbor, according to neighbors and three Kentucky Republicans familiar with what transpired.

Over a FLORA ISSUE. OMG.

Neighbors said it was well known that the men had strongly divergent political views — Mr. Paul is a libertarian who identifies as a Republican; Mr. Boucher is a registered Democrat. But they said the dispute had more to do with long-simmering tensions over their adjacent properties than politics.

“They just couldn’t get along. I think it had very little to do with Democrat or Republican politics,” said Jim Skaggs, who developed the gated community and who lives nearby. “I think it was a neighbor-to-neighbor thing. They just both had strong opinions, and a little different ones about what property rights mean.”

I’m still not sure if I believe this. Maybe it started out as that kind of feud, but their opposing political views just made everything bubble over. I don’t know. Either way, this is absurd.

Mr. Porter, who says he spoke with Mr. Paul on Saturday after the incident, said the senator told him he and Mr. Boucher had not talked in years. Mr. Porter said he was not familiar with any landscaping disputes between the two neighbors.

“He is still unsure why he was attacked,” Mr. Porter said. “I don’t know if he knows why he was attacked.”

I’ll bet there’s bamboo involved.

— I’m Sorry Aunt Lydia (@TinaMcGugan) November 6, 2017

Five broken ribs over a shrub? They do things differently in gated communities, I guess. https://t.co/2uc55gOqjW

— Paul Constant (@paulconstant) November 6, 2017

Suburban gardening is no joke. https://t.co/IDcHAJQ2Km

— Kim Severson (@kimseverson) November 6, 2017

I don’t think this should qualify as a well-sourced report. https://t.co/DLCsFOrQz6

— (((Pete Kaliner))) (@PeteKaliner) November 6, 2017

Best plotline of 2017. Going on record. https://t.co/n74cPsxEda

— Syd Sarachan (@sydsarachan) November 6, 2017

Which explains why DC GOP types aren’t making a big deal about this. https://t.co/M0RMCkaBkt

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) November 6, 2017

I just texted someone that it probably has to do with Rand mowing over some plants on a disputed border https://t.co/FHimWIEfKq

— mr. mad online (@earlmanwich) November 6, 2017

YOU MESS UP THE RHODODENDRONS AND ILL MESS UP YOUR FACE https://t.co/LWmmnm8g5i

— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) November 6, 2017

Absurd motive emerges in attack on Sen Paul https://t.co/B3uYUg52T6

— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) November 6, 2017

I call BS. You don’t physically attack a US Senator over a flora dispute, neighbor or not. https://t.co/31tiHBvwvZ

— Rebecca B (@starboard_light) November 6, 2017

What do you think? Was this really just over a landscaping issue? I have no idea. But I know firsthand about idiotic neighbors obsessing over their lawns. There’s one old lady in my neighborhood who sweeps her driveway multiple times a day. It’s ridic.