Their clear and open intent is to do all they can, however they can, to sabotage the new administration (and the economy to boot). They want failure.
I hate being right on this one (here and here). I thought that the Republicans might, at least, reciprocate a degree of civility to President Obama. But they've gone well beyond their own partisan hackery and have, as Sullivan's headline indicates, declared war on the new administration -- arguably the least "civil" path they could take.
President Obama, irrespective of his agenda, extended an open hand of civility to the Republicans and the Republicans have dropped a live grenade into it. The grenade hasn't exploded yet and it could very likely be a dud, but the gesture of doing so means everything.