error msg: attempt to resolve the DNS name of a domain controller in the domain being joined has failed. Please verify this client is configured to reach a DNS server that can resolve DNS names in the target domain. Any Ideas?

Is this the first Windows 7 machine you've tried to join to the domain? This usually means that your DNS isn't set up properly, ie. you're lacking a Host (A) record for your domain controller(s).

yes it is the first win7 machine i've attempted to join the domain. do you have a recommended fix?

That depends on how your DNS is being resolved. Is it through one of your DCs, your router or your ISP? Ideally you should be hosting your internal DNS (and DHCP) on one of your DCs and using a forwarder to connect to your ISP, leaving the router totally out of the mix. But a quick-fix is to simply add the addresses of your DCs to your Windows 7 machine's HOSTS file (c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts).