MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Washington, it seems, likes to lurch from crisis to crisis.

Just weeks ago it was the fiscal cliff, now we have the sequester and the possibility of $85 billion in cuts being phased in, starting March 1. The public opinion polls show Republicans are shouldering most of the blame for the standoff.

A recent Bloomberg poll found the President’s approval at 55 percent, his highest showing since 2009. Republicans, on the other hand, sit at just 35 percent, a drop of six points in just six months. Republican leaders say the President is exaggerating the immediate impact of the cuts, but it’s clear they will be felt from Head Start programs to airport delays to furloughed federal employees.

Polls also show the nation wants both parties to work together. If they did work together they would almost certainly be able to come to agreements that would eliminate fiscal crises occurring every few months. Then everyone’s approval ratings just might rise.