Is this Republican the most hated man in Washington?

Cheney's leadership political action committee -- Cowboy PAC -- donated $2,500, the maximum allowable under federal guidelines, to a lawyer named Todd McMurtry, according to Bloomberg News' Greg Giroux (The Kentucky primary is set for June 23).

Bold! Especially when you consider that Cheney isn't just any Republican House member -- she's a member of party leadership as the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference. It's hard to imagine then that the other GOP House leaders were unaware of -- or disagreed with -- Cheney making clear exactly how unhappy she is with Massie.

Massie, not one for backing down, took a shot at Cheney -- and Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Turner, who also contributed to McMurtry, via Twitter:

"I guess #neocons really do hate coming to work, while expecting nurses and truckers and soldiers to keep doing their jobs," he tweeted. "Who knew? @RepLizCheney @RepMikeTurner"

To which Turner shot back:

"Buddy, I was coming for the vote before you had anything to do with it. I contributed to your opponent because I believe that you don't belong in Congress. BTW, I'm certain @RepLizCheney was already going to be there too."

Reminder: These are all Republicans! As is President Donald Trump, who, back in late March, tweeted this about Massie:

"Looks like a third rate Grandstander named @RepThomasMassie, a Congressman from, unfortunately, a truly GREAT State, Kentucky, wants to vote against the new Save Our Workers Bill in Congress. He just wants the publicity. He can't stop it, only delay, which is both dangerous & costly. Workers & small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn't their fault. It is 'HELL' dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the 'big picture' done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!"

(McMurtry is now using Trump's Twitter attack on Massie in a TV ad.)

At the moment, Massie is still in the Republican Party. And, as his tweet to Cheney and Turner on Thursday makes clear, he isn't backing down. At all.

As congressional Democrats negotiate with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about adding more money to the Paycheck Protection Program -- and other coronavirus-related entities -- Massie is already promising to, again, object to a voice-vote approval, meaning that members would have to travel back to the nation's capital to cast a recorded vote.

Here's what Massie told conservative radio host Todd Starnes on Monday:

"By calling them out on the Constitution and making them come to Washington, DC, in order to pass a bill, they're finding it harder to pass this next bill because they know they're all going to have to come to work. They know I will get in my car and drive there and make them vote on it.

"And my colleagues, a lot of them, frankly, are cowards. They are telling supermarket workers to go to work, they are telling the truckers to keep driving, yet they don't want to show up for work. So by forcing them to come to work on the third bill, I've forestalled at least for a moment the ridiculousness of the fourth bill that Nancy Pelosi has been talking about."

"Cowards"! Whoa boy.

The question now isn't whether most of Massie's colleagues -- Republican and Democrat -- in Washington can't stand him. They can't. The question is whether Massie's status as the most hated man in Washington helps or hurts him as he tries to beat back McMurtry's primary challenge.

There's already a level of uncertainty built in to the primary because it has been moved from May to June due to the coronavirus pandemic. So it's not clear how voters will react to the change, and whether or not ongoing concerns about the spread of coronavirus will impact turnout.

Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that there has been no public polling released in the race -- before or after Massie's decision to force lawmakers back to Washington last month. One thing that the controversy has been good for is Massie's fundraising. He raised over $800,000 (and has almost $700,000 left to spend) in the first three months of the year (He raised less than $400,000 in 2017 and 2018 combined). McMurtry brought in more than $320,000 over the first three months of 2020, a total that included a $135,000 personal loan.

There's still more than two months left before Kentucky voters choose between Massie and McMurtry, of course. And if Cheney's move this week is an indication, Massie's unpopularity in Washington may have real-world consequences for him back in the Bluegrass State.