Imagine if Democratic leaders Speaker Nancy Pelosi or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were viciously assaulted and Republican politicians behaved as though they deserved it, citing everything from their positions on abortion to healthcare. Democrats would be outraged, and rightfully so.

When Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky announced Monday that he had surgery over the weekend to remove part of his lung, a result of his 2017 assault from his neighbor, many wished him a speedy recovery.