chef - can't register clients

gistfile1.txt

~# tail /var/log/chef/client.log 
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:00 +0000] INFO: Forked, in 2335. Priveleges: 0 0
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:05 +0000] INFO: *** Chef 0.10.4 ***
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:06 +0000] INFO: Client key /etc/chef/client.pem is not present - registering
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:09 +0000] INFO: HTTP Request Returned 500 Internal Server Error: Connection refused - connect(2)
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:09 +0000] ERROR: Server returned error for http://chef.spanning.co:4000/clients, retrying 1/5 in 4s
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:14 +0000] INFO: HTTP Request Returned 409 Conflict: Client already exists
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:14 +0000] INFO: HTTP Request Returned 403 Forbidden: You are not allowed to take this action.
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:14 +0000] ERROR: Net::HTTPServerException: 403 "Forbidden"
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:14 +0000] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to /var/cache/chef/chef-stacktrace.out
[Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:27:14 +0000] ERROR: Sleeping for 1800 seconds before trying again

less /var/cache/chef/chef-stacktrace.out
Generated at Fri Aug 26 20:27:14 +0000 2011
Net::HTTPServerException: 403 "Forbidden"
/usr/lib/ruby/1.8/net/http.rb:2105:in `error!'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:237:in `api_request'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:288:in `retriable_rest_request'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:218:in `api_request'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:130:in `put_rest'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/api_client.rb:247:in `save'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:81:in `register'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:79:in `upto'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:79:in `register'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:77:in `catch'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/rest.rb:77:in `register'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/client.rb:280:in `register'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/client.rb:150:in `run'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/application/client.rb:239:in `run_application'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/application/client.rb:229:in `loop'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/application/client.rb:229:in `run_application'
/usr/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/chef/application.rb:67:in `run'
/usr/bin/chef-client:25