As part of its budget discussions Thursday, the Florida Senate passed a measure that would end the discount for users of the state's SunPass system, which allows drivers to breeze through tolls with an electronic pass. Senate President Mike Haridopolos killed that idea Friday, saying he would reinstate the discount, which proponents say would net the state $100 million.

But for Haridopolos, who has repeatedly stated his intention not to increase taxes in the face of a $3.8 billion budget shortfall, the measure came too close to a tax hike.

The Republican lines cracked Friday morning when the Wall Street Journal published a lead editorial questioning the GOP's strategy in the shutdown showdown.

"It's clear enough by now that President Obama wants a shutdown and thinks he'll benefit politically from it," the Journal declared.

Though the Journal typically questions or pooh-poohs anything Obama says, the editorialists this time laid out a case to prove him right.