Re: Its a game of poker.
"4. What would've happened if one of them BCC'd you a note saying, "If you want to challenge the CEO so bad, how about YOU do it?" and leave a usable contact? That way, they shirk responsibility and, by directly connecting you to the guy up top, force YOU to assume the risk."
There is no risk. The more senior managers have refused to cooperate, for a mission critical system, he must escalate to the CEO. And he would have an email to back him up.
Strangely, many people, especially in the higher levels of an organisation, seem to forget that they are all working for the same aims. Keep the company going and keep getting paid. Most often the lower level techies don't have axes to grind, nor personal agendas, they just want to do their job the best they can. It's the more senior levels that are too busy back stabbing, and "Looking at the big picture," to actually realise that if they don't assist, there will be no "big picture."