I am a partner in my firm as well. Everyone has someone to answer to -- whether it is the most senior partner or, even more so, clients.
I have no problem with an owner of a $500 plus million business asking the people running the business (and doing a poor job at that) demanding answers to questions about what is going on. I would have been disappointed if questions were not being asked of them.
All of this sounds like sour grapes on the part of MM and TD.
As an aside, I do not know if you are a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, but I am reminded of a story about Larry David when he was a writer for SNL. Apparently, the writers compete with each other about whose skits will be on each week. Lorne Michaels makes the final call.
After several weeks of not having any of his skits appear on SNL, Lorne Michaels informed Larry David just before air time that none of his skits would appear on that night's show. Larry was so pissed that he quit on the spot. As he was walking home from Rockefeller Plaza in the cold in the middle of winter, he began to have second thoughts as he realized that he would not have any money to pay for his rent etc.
The next day, he told a friend what happened. His friend told him to show up for work on Monday as if nothing happened. Taking his friend's advice, he showed up to the Monday morning writer's meeting. Everyone looked at him wondering what he was doing there. Larry just acted like nothing had happened and that he had not quit his job. He ended up not losing his job.
He actually used this as inspiration for an episode of Seinfeld when George quit his job and later regretted it and showed up for work the following day.
I guess the moral of the story is, if you tell your boss off, act as though you were joking.