as ted points out the inhumanity of eddie long. if there is something about him that is fundamentally problematic it has nothing to do with homosexuality or het row sexuality. it has to do with -- whether or not these boys are gay or not isn't even the point. there is nothing ex-cull pa tri about being straight. the point is a teacher has exploited his flock. that is the problem. as long as we continue to prosecute this in a way that reinforces homophobia in the church and our communities we'll continue to have problems like this. that is why people like eddie long can be out there and be virulently homophobic and at the very same time prey upon the bodies of his flock. >> listen, b.j. bernstein speaks to that. play number three, guys. then we'll talk about it. >> he would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader. and your master. and let him know the acts he was engaged in were not necessarily meaning he was a homosexual or that either of them was but rather the pastor, bishop long, was releasi

as ted points out inhumanity about eddie long. something about him that's fundamentally problematic nothing to do with sexuality or homophobic sexuality with the exploitation his members. b.j. bernstein, extraordinary respect for him. i actually helped her free janarro wilson. nothing exculpatory. that's problem. as long as we know to prosecute this in a way that sort of reinforces homophobia but in the church and in the communities we'll continue to have problems like this that's why people like eddie long can go out thren and are varilent. >> b.j. bernstein speaks to that, number three, guys, and play and this and then we'll talk about it. >> he would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader. and your master and let him know that the acts that he was engaged in were not necessarily meaning that he was a homosexual or that either of them was but the pastor bishop long was releasing his passion and his love for anthony. >> what do you think of that and what marc said, there's an underlying homo

we're expecting pastor eddie long to appear at any time. bunny, you know, one of the things that we kind of lose sight of in all this is this is a family gathering, these churches. so you bring your child and your children to these church services to look up to these mostly men who have been involved in this. how do you handle this? >> well, you pray for strength, first of all. and that stets apart from the average communication crisis. and this is a church. so you have to go to your faith. you pay -- pray for strength, you recognize that the ministers who are having the hiccup in their career are men, they're men of god, but i was watching cnn, as a matter of fact, last night when i were interviewing i believe it was ted haggard. and he talked about separating the calling from the man. and so if you -- if you're dealing with children you try to keep them protected because these are things that you might not be able to explain to them. but in terms of what this church is willing to do, they're going to pray for strength. >> let's hear what

all day. >> reporter: bishop eddie long's fiery sermons made him a revered evangelical minister. >> eddie long offers himself up as this kind of man's man. he's a quintessential man. he is a successful businessman. he's a successful preacher. he has a beautiful family. he's a successful family man. he drives a fancy car. he wears custom-tailored clothes and some argue that he is the man all woman want and all men aspire to be. >> reporter: in separate lawsuits, two young men say bishop long used his spiritual authority to coerce and manipulate them into destructive sexual relationships. 20-year-old maurice robinson and 21-year-old anthony flag say they met eddie long through the bishop's longfellow youth academy. >> he would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader and master. and let him know that the acts that he was engaged in were not necessarily meaning that he was a homosexual. >> reporter: the spokesman tells cnn he adamantly denies the allegations, the young men allege long made them his spiritual sons in a private ceremony called a covenant. >

we anticipate that bishop eddie long will be there. we're told his wife will be with him, as will his attorneys. but exactly what gets to be asked, how long we get to ask, we'll have to wait and see. >> martin savidge, take care my friend. looks like a hurricane rather than a church service this morning. we'll stick with you all morning long as we follow this developing story. thank you, martin. the allegations have stunned long's congregation. cnn's don lemon talked with several church members last night. they support him even though he cancelled a radio interview and a news conference that might have put those troubling questions to rest. here's what they had to say. >> our bishop is a family-oriented man, and he would view new birth as a's hm fay. so i do see why he would delay speaking to the radio before speaking to his congregation. >> kevin? >> we understand the delay, but even those in christiandom that are not members of new birth want to hear from bishop long. there are those that supported his ministry, bought the books and

eddie, bishop long is going through the same type of thing. so we from the outside when we look at this, we see this as an incredible learning moment for all of us. but where we become hypocrites is we may say, well, i'm judging him now for hypocrisy and i'm judging the men for not being as responsible as they should to stand up under pressure, or whatever. i think what we need to be from the outside is supportive and encouraging for all parties concerned. let the church handle this. let the legal authorities handle this. there are four civil lawsuits. but our role is to pray that -- there's a tomorrow for all of them. and to pray that all of them become better men just like all of us become better men and women as we go through disappointing things in life. >> okay. listen, there were -- with you, there were e-mails and they tracked your credit cards and online, or whatever. and i believe you said you got to a point where there was so much evidence, that you were glad that that evidence was out there. because there was no turning back. you ha

where is eddie long? >> first of all, when i interviewed -- i was the one who interviewed the attorney craig gilliland on the show on thursday and we had already confirmed bishop eddie long was notified around midnight that night that he was not going to be appearing. what i said to him was -- i said the exact same thing. what he said was when you have these kind of serious charges and you hire an attorney, you listen to your attorney's advice. i was watching tv 1 and we dealt with this tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. eastern and talked to a crisis expert who said you might disagree from the media standpoint but from a pr standpoint, attorney's standpoint, you have to make sure that you are not making any possible statement publicly that could cut back and be used against you in any kind of legal situation. this is a civil case. but remember b.j. bernstein, the attorney for the plaintiffs, she has called in federal authorities saying that with him being over the long fellow academy, that something is amiss there.

and bishop eddie long is facing another allegation of sexual misconduct. a fourth lawsuit has been filed against the pastor. and a federal judge has ruled against a military's don't ask, don't tell policy. we'll hear from an openly gay former air force nurse who was just reinstated years after her discharge. >>> up first, national security and the case of yemeni american clairic al awlaki. the obama administration is asking the judge to dismiss a case filed on behalf of the cleric's father. chris, what is this suit about and why is this administration trying to have it dismissed? >> what's going on is the fact that the u.s. government is claiming that they have a state secret privilege. in other words, they feel that to grant this injunction would expose a lot of the ways in which the military and intelligence officials are operating around the globe to fight terrorists. you've got two issues here. on one hand, the aclu is saying awlaki, even though he lives in yemen, is still a united states citizen and u.s. officials have confirmed he is on a cia hit lis

but this lawsuit goes beyond eddie long. it involves other church members, other church administration. >> right. as these lawsuits have come out in number -- now four -- we've also learned great dear tail of the allegations that have been made, and more names from the new birth organization are being brought in here. and clearly what is being done here is that b.j. bernstein who is the attorney that represents the plaintiffs in this case is insinuating that, all right, bishop long is the man who is believed to have had the sexual relationship here, the other members of the church leadership help to facilitate it. in other words, they help to provide the transportation, they provided the housing. above all, they provided the money that allowed for all of this to happen. thereby, that's why they're named in this suits. >> bishop long gets to say in his way tomorrow. what are we to expect will happen? >> well, you know, that's the real question here. there are some scenarios, people say, that if it's true, he could possibly co

bishop eddie long is just the tip of the iceberg. i think the universe is not judging, but correcting itself. i love bishop long. i love anybody and i'll be here for them and i love your tenderness in dealing with this. it's a delicate subject, i'm trying to be as discreet as i can. it's here and we've got to deal with it. >> i respect very much what you've preached and look forward to talking to you more about this. thank you so much. >>> more straight ahead. sure i'd like to diversify my workforce, i just wish that all of the important information was gathered together in one place. [ printer whirs ] done. ♪ thanks. do you work here? not yet. from tax info to debunking myths, the field guide to evolving your workforce has everything you need. download it now at thinkbeyondthelabel.com. [ male announcer ] nature is unique... ...authentic... ...pure... and also delicious. ♪ like nature valley. granola bars made with crunchy oats and pure honey. because natural is not only good, it also tastes good. nature valley -- 100% natural.

that was one statement from pastor eddie long. but ron, i know people are trying to pack themselves into that church use it now and it looks very crowded. do you think this is a normal attendance or do you expect almost everyone one of the 25,000 condegree goods gants to be there? >> i would think this is probably going to be one of the most well attended sunday these year to hear bishop long address this congregation. a couple of the members here, they are absolutely in shock behind us. they say there is nothing in his past, in the relationships who are in some long fellows academy program that he started four young mem men to try to teach them to be men. they say this is uncharacteristic of the eddie long that they know. a lot of rumors obviously circulating. a lot of folks do not expect him to step down. they believe he's a strong and principled man of faith and he's going to take these charges head on and fight them within alice. >> do you get a sense that they are partyive of the bishop at this point? we have to remember that

bishop eddie long went before his congregation this morning to address for the first time allegations of sexual misconduct with young men in his congregation. never before has long faced such salacious and disturbing charges made by four men who said their pastor coerced them into sexual situations when they were teenagers. now after a lengthy wait, bish op long finally spoke the words many in his congregation were waiting to hear and cnn's martin savage was there. >> reporter: standing before an overflowing crowd of congress gants in the megachurch he built, bishop eddie long was in no mood to back down. >> there have been allegations and attacks made on me.

. >>> bishop eddie long at the pulpit saying he's ready to fight. this days after lawsuits are filed against him alleging he coerced young men into sex. a discussion with our panel. and the pentagon destroys books, one author's work is rubbing the military the wrong way. he'll join us in the 4:00 eastern hour to talk about the pentagon's decision. and a student film on steroids now going viral on the web. we'll check out all of the top clips from this week coming up in the 5:00 eastern hour. with television cameras rolling and a jam packed congregation listening, megachurch leader eddie long took to the pulpit today for the first time in days to address allegations he sexually abused young men. four lawsuits filed against him last week claim that he coerced young men into sexual relationships during overnight trips and then lavished them with expensive gifts. here's how bishop long responded this morning. [ applause ] >> there have been allegations and attacks made on me. i have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not the ma

but this is bishop eddie long in a news conference. >> good morning, welcome. bishop long is going to make a statement this morning as you have been previously informed. there will not be any and answers after his statement. thank you very much. >> good morning, and i just want to take this moment to address you again as of advice of counsel i am not going to address the allegations and the attack that's been levied upon me at the moment. again, as i stated earlier in the service, i want this to be dealt in the court of justice and not by public opinion. i will say that i am going to fight, fight very vigorously against these charge. and i've been at this church for 23 years. this is the first time i realized that we are as important as we are to get this much attention, and we're going to continue as a church to do the things we do to touch the world. the hospitals that we built in nigeria and in kenya, and things that we're doing in honduras with building homes for missionaries and as we support pitch -- hospice in south africa as you witnessed today. there a

he says, eddie long, "i don't want to try this in the media." but he really didn't address these allegations. how difficult is this for him, not addressing them head on? if he claims his innocence, why not do that publicly? >> well, i mean, i think that there are a lot of issues at hand. the first thing that i would want to say is that, you know, i think that people in positions of leadership, particularly in the faith community, are held to higher standards than most of us are. i want to really just kind of set that -- >> true. >> -- set that straight. and i will say that what concerns me most is the fact that these young black men who have claimed that they have been violated is not something that they do easily. it's a harder discussion in general to talk about men being molested as opposed to girls. i mean, it's a horrific experience for anyone to have to experience. but especially for a black man to admit to being violated in that way speaks volumes to me because it's -- it means that's the ultimate violation. and so i'm concerned about the

>> reporter: bishop eddie long's fiery sermons have made her a revered evangelical pastor. >> eddie long offers himself up as this kind of man's man, the quintessential man. he's a successful businessman. he's a successful preacher. he has a beautiful family. he drives a fancy car. he wears customed tailored cloenls, and in some ways some would argue he's the man all women want and all men are suppose to the aspire to be. >> reporter: two young men, former church members, say bishop eddie long used his spirit chal authority to man in late them into sexual relationships. robinson and flagg said they met eddie long through a ministry aimed at nurturing boys into strong young men. >> he would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader and your master, and let him know that the acts that he was engaged in were not necessarily meaning that he was a homosexual. >> reporter: bishop long's spokesman says he adamantly deny the allegations that he made them his spiritual sons in a private saerm moan. >> within that could have been nent it was a marriage ceremony

that's a predator. >> reporter: on sunday bishop eddie long spoke out for the first time equating the lawsuit to a fight of biblical proportions. >> i feel like david against goliath. but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> reporter: there was no denial in his sunday sermon. the city of atlanta is reacting to the scandal. >> he was very convincing. you know, i find it hard to believe that a young man would stand in the camera in front of everyone and put himself on the line. >> god is going to take care of bishop eddie long. we need to step in and make sure these boys are okay. >> reporter: it's an emotional struggle for the plaintiff. >> i cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head and i cannot forget the smell of his cologne and i cannot forget the way he made me cry many nights driving in his car on the way home not able to take enough showers to wipe the smell of him off of my body. >> reporter: long has spoken out against gay marriage. his 25,000 member church offers counseling to encourage homosexuals to go straight. long has reportedly paid more than $3 mill

bishop eddie long has 25,000 followers at new birth missionary baptist church. three of them, all young men have filed lawsuits saying he coerced them into sex when they were teens. long's attorney denies the allegations and dismisses these photos that have emerged in the wake of that scandal. attorney b.j. bernstein who represents the three men in the lawsuit says long actually sent these two photos of himself wearing tight shirts to a fourth man whose not named in the litigation. she says it's just an example of inappropriate conduct. now, later in the day, bishop long posted a twitter message to his supporters. it reads, thanks for all your prayers and support, love you all. at the bottom of the hour, we will actually hear from a church member who sees bishop long as his spiritual father. he'll share his thoughts on the accusations and the ikt pact it's having on his church. >>> a new film called "waiting for super man" has nothing do with a man and a cape. it has everything to do with education in america. the people who made the movie hope it sparks change.

controversial bishop eddie long says he'll fight allegations of sex abuse but admits he is not a perfect man. i'm russ mitchell. also tonight, the next round in the tax cut fight. top democrats now say they'll put off a vote until after the election. mideast peace talks at a crossroads as israel's moratorium on west bank settlement construction expires tonight. and making whoopie, just how did this delicacy of cake layers and filling get its name? captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with russ mitchell. >> mitchell: and good evening. the public pressure has been building for days as four young men filed lawsuits charging sexual abuse by georgia pastor eddie long. this morning bishop long faced his mega church, his congregation and addressed the charges, vowing to fight them even as he did not unequivocally deny them. mark strassmann was there. >> glory, glory, glory, glory, glory hallelujah. >> reporter: for these georgia faithful, sunday services hit close to their spiritual home, allegations of sinful sexual conduct against their own pastor, bishop eddie long. >>

eddie long says he will address his congregation first this sunday. we don't know if media will be invited over that address. savannah, chuck, back up to you guys. >> all right, ron, in decatur, georgia. media i have a feeling will not be invited, but i have a feeling they'll be there. >>> should the white house turn to wall street corporate america to replace top adviser larry summers? up next, cnbc's maria bartiromo. >>> all in the family from books to television shows. how sarah palin and her family are turning her celebrity into big business. is it good politics? >>> the president's schedule, he's in new york, he's got a few private meetings with some world leaders, plus the head of the united nations. you're watching the rundown only on msnbc. [ female announcer ] what if your natural beauty could be flawless, too? new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers. aren't absor

plus clergy crisis, embattled bishop eddie long vows to fight sex allegations. this is the "cbs morning news." subway has breakfast. and it's a slam dunk. i like my breakfast sandwich with green peppers, onion, banana peppers and mustard. i like eggs with black forest ham on wheat. with everything. i like a little kick. that's a good call. i like mine with egg whites. and... a napkin. [ male announcer ] have you built your better breakfast? now's the time! try our better-for-you western egg white muffin melt or the dee-licious double bacon egg and cheese on toasty flatbread. subway. build your better breakfast. i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool. way cool. ♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting. this is how grandpa and i roll. ♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪ [ laughing ] [ boy

he's the attorney who speaks out for bishop eddie long. as you point out tomorrow, we'll hear from the bishop himself as he talks about this directly to his congregation. a lot of rumors have been flying in anticipation of this event. so there's been some damage control. and in fact, let me give you this statement that actually came from art franklin, the spokesperson. he says the rumor that bishop long is stepping down on sunday is absolutely false, bishop eddie long is and will continue to be the senior past wert new birth missionary baptist church. it shows you there are a lot of people, a lot of talk out there as to what's going to happen tomorrow. we won't know that until tomorrow. >> his attorney is going to advise bishop long from saying very much about the case from the pulpit. it will be intriguing to see what area he's willing to talk about. >> it's different when you talk, i suppose from the pulpit or to your congregation. some people say it is not the appropriate place, perhaps, to talk about what they might consider ungodley t

bishop eddie long took to the pulpit to defend himself against a sex scandal. he promised to fight the allegations. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: outside the new birth missionary baptist church here -- >> he's an innocent man. give him the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: -- when bishop eddie long finally appeared, he seemed more like a rock star than a pastor accused of pushing sex onto teenage boys. >> i've been accused. i'm under attack. i want you to know, as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man, but this thing i'm going to fight. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: under the advice of his lawyers, he said very little, even at the news conference after his first service where he took no questions. for some this was enough. >> i want the world to know i will support bishop eddie long till the day i die and go to heaven. >> reporter: currently there are four lawsuits, and there's the matter of these pictures. attorneys say long sent them to one of the teenage boys. there were mothers and fathers in church who could not turn a blind eye. >> he didn'

bishop eddie long of the new birth missionary baptist church outside atlanta. three men are suing bishop long accusing him of enticing them with cars, clothes, expensive jewelry in exchange for sexual favors. these are just allegations at this point but what makes them so startling is bishop long is leader of a mega church with 25,000 members but a major opponent of same-sex marriage and homosexuality. here's some of what he's preached in the past about gays and lesbians. >> and the problem today and the reason why society is like it is is because men are being feminized and women are becoming masculine. >> and everybody knows it's dangerous to enter an exit. you cannot say i was born this way. i don't care what scientists say. you can be converted. you were not born that way. let me pray with you. let me tell you, don't you be conformed to this world but be transformed, i don't know what i am. take your clothes down and i'll show you who you are. >> that's video from the southern poverty law center. these are photographs provided by the lawyer involved in this

for the latest political news go to cnnpolitics.com. >>> bishop eddie long speak ing publicly about allegations that he molested four young men. how did his message, morning message, play with church members, and when we come back we'll hear from someone who was there. when i brush, i like to do a really mediocre job. i love running my tongue across my teeth and feeling all the stuff i missed. [ male announcer ] no one really wants plaque left on their teeth. done. [ male announcer ] but ordinary manual brushes can leave up to 50% of plaque behind. oral-b power brushes are inspired by the tools professionals use, to clean away plaque in. for that dentist-smooth, clean feeling every day. fight plaque with real power. oral-b power. get 50% off oral-b power brushes for a limited time. visit oralb.com for details. >>> gabrielle richards has been a member of bishop long's church for eight years. she was in church this morning to hear him address the allegations, and tonight i spoke with her about her minister's message to the congregation. >> i was so proud of him, the way that he came out with his

some footage of bishop eddie long. that is file footage. we're keeping our eyes trained on the church in which he is right now addressing his congregation. despite the allegations, he intends to be at that pulpit next sunday. so this is not going to derail at this time anything he has intended for the congregation. he admits it's been a difficult time not only for his followers but his family. he's expected to speak to the news media about 10:00 a.m. eastern time. we're going to carry that for you live when he makes a specific statement about these four allegations of sexual misconduct. >>> well, it has been in theaters for just two days but it has sparked heated discussion around the country. "waiting for superman" examines the problems in our nation's schools. why, among 30 developed countries, we now rank 25th in math and 21st in science. >> a child that doesn't finish high school will earn less and be eight times more likely to go to prison. >> i want to go to school. >> reporter: for these kids, their only chance at getting into a grea

this concerns the anti gay crusader bishop eddie long. >> sexual things started to happen at the ages of 17 and 18 years old the age of consent in georgia is 16 years old. this is not child molestation under georgia law but is absolutely pastoral church abuse. >> as a member of the church and as a person who accepted bishop eddie long is my spiritual leader i stay and say as a friend and extended family member i am loyal. >> if the complaints filed four young men are to be believed that loyalty may be misplaced. elizabeth prom reports on the growing scandal threatening the bar flung empire of the mega church pastor who railed against homosexuality. here is elizabeth. >> 6 days after he was slapped with four level lawsuits bishop eddie long spoke carefully to his congregation and the nation today. although he never claimed his innocence or acknowledged the four accusers long says he didn't being accurately portrayed in the media. >> ive never portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not a man that is being portrayed on the television. >> long vowed i would fight to the end continued

bishop eddie long took to the pulpit to defend himself against a sex scandal. he promised to fight the allegations. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: outside the missionary baptist church here -- >> innocent man. give him the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: when bishop eddie long finally appears, he seemed more like a rock star than a pastor accused of pushing sex on teenage boys. >> i've been accused. i'm under attack. i want you to know as i said earlier i am not a perfect man, but this thing i'm going to fight. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: under the rhys of his lawyers he said little. even at the news conference where he took no questions. for some this was enough. >> i want the world to know i will support bishop eddie long till the day i die and go to heaven. >> reporter: there are four lawsuits and there's the matter of these pictures, attorneys say long sent them to one of the teenage boys. there were mothers and fathers in church who could not turn a blind eye. >> he didn't just come right out and say, people, i didn't do it. >> reporter: y

bishop eddie long speaking publicly about allegations that he molested four young men. how did his message, morning message, play with church members, and when we come back we'll hear from someone who was there. >> it's a time when you actually -- ♪ we could've gone a more traditional route... ... but it wouldn't have been nearly as memorable. ♪ >>> gabrielle richards has been a member of bishop long's church for years. she was in church this morning to hear him address the allegations, and tonight i spoke with her about her minister's message to the congregation. >> i was so proud of him, the way that he came out with his head up and with his fabulous wife, and he -- he showed the strength that i'm accustomed to, and this is the bishop long that i know. >> yeah. did you want to hear it earlier? i mean, be honest. you said it's good, but did you want to hear that earlier? >> earlier, you mean, as soon as allegations came out? >> well, sooner. didn't have to be as soon, but did you want to hear from him earlier than today? >> i respected his decision to wait and spea

eddie long went before his -- the allegations of sexual misconduct. long -- such disturbing charges made by four young men who said their pastor coerced them into sexual situations. >> as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man, but this thing, i'm going to fight. and i want you to know one other thing. i feel like david against goliath. i've got five rocks and haven't thrown one yet. martin savidge was at this morning's service and he's filed this report. >> reporter: standing before an overflowing crowd in the megachurch he built, bishop eddie long was in no mood to back down. >> there have been allegations and attacks made on me. i have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. that's not me. that is not me. >> reporter: it was long's first public comments since four young men filed lawsuits against him, accusing him of using his position to coerce them into having sex. so many came to hear what long had to say, traffic was still snarled as the service began. what do you hope t

bishop eddie long took to the pulpit to defend himself against a sex scandal. he promised to fight the allegations. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: outside the new birth missionary baptist church here -- >> he's an innocent man. give him the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: -- when bishop eddie long finally appeared, he seemed more like a rock star hing a pastor aching sex onto teenage boys. >> i've been accused. i'm under attack. i want you to know, as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man, but this thing i'm going to fight. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: under the advice of his lawyers, he said very little, even at the news conference after his first service where he took no questions. for some this was enough. >> i want the world to know i will support bishop eddie long till the day i die and go to heaven. >> reporter: currently there are four lawsuits, and there's the matter of these pictures. attorneys say long sent them to one of the teenage boys. there were mothers and fathers in church who could not turn a blind eye. >> he didn't just come

eddie long is saying nothing for now. it's unfortunate that these two men have decided to take this course of action. we are hearing rumors that eddie long may address the media today. it will be well-attended. >> his membership, what is it, like 20,000 people that attend this church? and many of them high-profile people. >> very high-profile people. largely in the african-american community here in the atlanta metro area. coretta scott-king's funeral was held here. eddie long is on tv, he sells a lot of cds and dvds. a lot of folks are saying, boy, we hope this isn't true. >> this is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal investigation. thank you very much, ron. greatly appreciate it. >> thank you. >>> first she lost her home and now a washington, d.c. woman's possessions are outside on the sidewalk for everybody to see. a woman was evicted tuesday morning because she could no longer pay her rent. so her belongings, all of them, ended up on the sidewalk. she says she's got nowhere to go. a local storage company has offered to s

no word on a possible motive. >>> more legal trouble for prominent atlanta pastor eddie long. he now faces a fourth lawsuit. four young men complained long coerced them into sexual relationships. bishop long plans to speak about the allegations, perhaps. tomorrow we know he at least is scheduled to take to the pulpit during his sermons tomorrow morning. what a worldwind legal week it has been for hollywood starlet lindsay lohan. our legal guys are back. avery friedman, civil rights and law professor in cleveland and richard, law professor and attorney. we see the bellagio behind you. richard, we know this is a favorite stomping ground, or one of them, of lindsay lohan and a lot of other stars. this time the problem is in hollywood for her. she goes to jail last night violating probation, but then she's back out. she posted bail. what's next for her? >> fred, my take on it is this, the judge who allowed her to get out of the rehab facility based on the false representations of the ucla medical center, i don't know how incompetent they are, let her out of the rehab center becaus

eddie long was supposed to appear on a radio program today and hold a press conference. that appears to be off. three men now accused long of luring them into having sex as teenagers. long's attorneys deny the charges with the bishop himself is not talking now. he's canceled that radio interview, as well as the afternoon press conference. >>> and two city officials arrested in a bell county salary scandal are out on bail this morning. they are charged along with six hours of draining the city's treasury to the tune of more than $5.5 million. the two released after proving their bail money did not come from stolen tax dollars. >>> five members of a u.s. army killed when their chopper went down in southern afghanistan. their bodies arrived in dover, delaware, draped in american flags. nine people were killed in total. it was the worst chopper attack in four years. it happens in zabul province. it's one of the areas where troops have been. >> the five from army, major robert baldwin from illinois, chief warrant officer matthew staff from utah. staff sergeant joshua powell f

in fact, right now bishop eddie long is at services for the second time today. today is the first day that he has faced his congregation since four men accused him of forcing them into sexual relationships when they were just teenagers. bishop long has denied all the allegations, and he told his congregation this morning that he vows to fight the charges but he won't be doing it on tv. >> by the counsel of my lawyers, they are advised me not to try this case in the media. i am not going to try this case in the media. it will be tried in the court of justice and dealt with in the court of justice. >> i am joined now live by publicist terrie williams, the president and founder of the terrie wirmz agency and the author of "black pain it just looks like we're not hurting." she's also co-founder of the stay strong foundation, which means she's a very busy woman. as a publicist how do you think the bishop is handling the scandal thus far? >> the one thing i would be most interested in hearing him address, because i heard him speak about the amazing work that they do a

. >> eddie long offers himself up as this kind of man's man. he's the quintessential man, he's a successful businessman. he's a successful preacher. he has a beautiful family. he's a successful family man, he drives a fancy car, he wears custom tailored clothes. so in some ways some would argue that he is the man that all women want and that all men are supposed to aspire to be. >> reporter: but in separate lawsuits, two young men, former church members say bishop long used his spiritual authority to coerce and manipulate them into destructive sexual relationships. 20-year-old maurice robinson and 21-year-old anthony flagg say they met eddie long through the bishop long fellow youth academy. >> he would use biblical stories to talk about how important it was to follow your leader. and your master. and let him know that the acts that he was engaged in were not necessarily meaning that he was a homosexual. >> reporter: bishop long's spokesman tells cnn he adamantly denies the allegations. >> within that covenant, it was essentially a marriage cer

>> when eddie long took it over, it had 300 members. it's grown to more than 25,000 members in that church now. when king pass add way a few years ago, martin luther king's family had requested that her funeral service be held in his church. you're talking about a man who has a reach around the world, one of the mega premier pastors around the country. he has a loud voice, a powerful voice that many, many people listen to. >> we miss each other once again. >> i'll hold the fort down for you. >> please do. let me bring you up to speed with some of the stories we're following on cnn. >>> is the cia running a pair a military force made up of afghan soldiers? that's one of the claims in bob woodward's book. a senior administration source tells cnn the president comes across as a decisive commander in chief. in the book, the cia has not commented. >>> eight current and former officials from belle, california, are being arraigned today on charges of miss appropriating funds and taking illegal loans. the investigations started after reports su

sanjay, thanks. >>> coming up, another accuser speaking out against bishop eddie long. the fourth man to come forward. also tonight what happens when the republican candidate for governor of new york took exception to one of the reporters covering him. here's a taste of it. >> of course you'll get it at appropriate time. you're not entitled to it. at the appropriate time you'll get it. >> you're the attorney general of new york. get triple points every time you use your card at marriott. apply now and earn 22,500 bonus points when you use your card and enjoy a free night stay. so, before you know it, work time becomes well-deserved downtime. apply now at marriott.com/freenightstay. you've got staying power. in 2008 i quit venture capital to follow my passion for food. i saw a gap in the market for a fresh culinary brand and launched behindtheburner.com. we create and broadcast content and then distribute it across tv, the web, and via mobile. i even use the web to get paid. with acceptpay from american express open, we now invoice advertisers and receive payments digita

because it's already in my email. >>> another accuser of bishop eddie long speaking out tonight, one of four young men who has accused the pastor of sexual coercion. all four are suing. the bishop has denied the aengss and plans to, quote, vigorously now 22-year-old spencer legrand has talked with the media, he told reporter he has a lawyer that told him not to. >> it's not very sexy, it's not very fun and it's very easy to make fun of. but it makes a huge difference. >> reporter: but to get to net zero he needed his house to start making energy. >> yeah, this is solar panels, a lot more sexy than installation. >> solar panels create electricity, so far, he says it's working. >> so this is our electrical meter. the meter was gone backwards. >> a few miles away in boulder, colorado, david johnston has been chasing the net zero dream for 30 years. he's a green building consultant and wrote the book toward a zero energy home. >> it's really a function of good design and great materials. that's the key. >> he estimates there are only about 100 net zero homes in america. the new building

. >>> in georgia bishop eddie long is vowing to fight allegations. he made the first public response to the accusations during sunday services at his church. >> i have been accused. i'm under attack. i want you to know as i said earlier, i'm not a perfect man. but this thing i'm going to fight. >> nbc's ron mott live for us in decatu decatur. sounds like nothing but supporters showed up on sunday. >> reporter: yes, but we did, in fact, speak to some of the parishers and at least one said he thought that eddie long should step done from the position as senior pastor. most of the folk that is showed up to services yesterday supportive of eddie long and he walked off the stage yesterday likening this fight to david versus ga lie ath and said he had five stones and walked off to great applause yesterday. i spoke about an hour ago with b.j. bernstein, attorney for the four men that filed lawsuits against eddie long for pressuring them allegedly into sexual acts. she says while officials here in the county will not looks like press charges criminally she i

this was supposed to be the day that bishop eddie long broke his silence. instead, he has backed out of an interview and also a news conference today, and there are new allegations against him. a third young sman now suing the leader of the 25,000 new birth missionary baptist church, claiming as a teenager he was coerced into having sex with bishop long. long's attorney spoke on the radio just this morning. >> i have been through storms, and my faith has always sustained me. i am anxious to respond directly to these false allegation, and i will do so, however my lawyers counselled patience at this time. let me be clear, the charges against me and new birth are false. i have devoted my life to helping others, and these false allegations hurt me deeply. but my faith is strong and the truth will emerge. >> that was attorney craig gillen speaking on behalf of bishop eddie long on the radio this morning and says long will talk for the first time about the allegations from the pulpit at his church this coming sunday. the attorney for the young men says other youn

bishop eddie long took to the pulpit to defend himself against a sex scandal. he promised to fight the allegations but declined to talk about the specifics of the lawsuits now filed against him. largest african-american 25,0 25,000-member congregation over that's not me. grand says he was 17 when the preacher first made advances. intimate sexual contact and that they slept in the same bed. >> reporter: lars for the young >> reporter: for now, some members of the congregation are supportive. everybody know that, hey, this is not true. >> 25,000 members that are ministers have come together over the weekend, saying they are praying for bishop long to get through this. t.j. winick, abc news. buckle up, it's the law. your produce. they had to be strapped into the safe travel. mammoth-sized melons. last year he grew a 119-pounder. now he says he's saving the seeds to keep the good genetics going. those are big melons. >> we were waiting for that. >> good work for him. >> good genetics. we'll be right back with more if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night, w

four men say that bishop eddie long lures them insexual relationships when they were teens. he faced his congregation fors first timing since accusations surfac surfaces. >> i've been accused. i'm under attack. i'm not a perfect man. but this thing, i'm going to fight. i feel like david against goliath, but i've got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> i'm joined by journalist and author, keith boykin editor of "the daily voice." talk about the fact the bishop has spoke. we hear the rousing support he got from his congregation and roughly it's thousands upon thousands that show up to hear this man preach. what about the reaction? what do you think? is he speak too late. >> i think he is speaking to late. i know bishop long i met him before, been to his church. i used to teach at the high school in the ar where he preaches. and my sense is that the community there, at least the community of people in the church, are going to continue to support him but the people outside of the community are asking questions that aren't being answered. he didn't say in his sermon that

we're hearing from eddie long's accusers in their own words. ed lavendf e laf enlavendera ha >>> one of the accusers is now speaking out, calling bishop a monster. >>> jamal parish had finished a late-night grocery store run when a reporter from an atlanta television station, waga asked him about the shocking alsos of sexual misconduct against eddie long. >> the media and the press and the rest of the people in the city and the country look at this how can a grown man let another man touch them. this man manipulated us from childhood. this is our father and we loved him. >> it's the first time we've heard from any of the young men suing eddie long. the men say the pastor convinced him over the years with the sexual relationship with the man they called daddy is part of their spiritual development. >> i can not get the sound of my voice out of my head and i cannot forget the smell of his cologne and i cannot forget the way he made me cry not able to take enough showers to wipe the smell of him off of my body. >> eddie long still enjoys great sup

a third person has come forward accusing eddie long of sexual coercion. but instead his lawyer spoke. here's some of what he had to say. >> these false allegations are an attack on bishop long personally. they are an attack on new birth, the entire church and all of its 25,000 good people. >> nbc ron mott has been following this story and he joins us now from decatur, georgia. ron, good morning. >> hey, thomas. good day to you. eddie long is one of the most popular ministers in this country he built a religious empire in the atlanta area and some say these are simple attempts to bring all of that down. >> somebody needs to celebrate that moment. somebody needs to bless god for that. >> reporter: he's hosted presidents like here at the funeral of coretta scott king. >> we thank the king family and we're in much prayer for you. >> reporter: he preaches to tens of thousands at his mega church outside atlanta. he counseled president clinton during the lewinsky scandal and an outspoken opponent of homosexuality. but today eddie long, who calls himself bishop,

. >> lawyers for bishop eddie long have strongly denied that he traded sexual favors for cash, cars and other gifts. here's abc's steve osunsami. >> reporter: bishop eddie long is considered one of the most anti-gay pastors in the country, who once said that homosexuality is a spiritual abortion. if today's accusations are true, he might regret the day he led thousands through the streets of atlanta in protest of gays and same-sex marriage. >> woman and woman and man and man is not right. so, that's why i stand by the bishop. >> reporter: in the lawsuits, filed by three, young men he recruited into the youth ministry at his gigantic church outside atlanta, they describe him as a sexual predator who pushed them into sex, lavished them with expensive gifts, and sent them these photos, texts and e-mails when they were above the legal age of consent, but just 16 and 17 years old. they say he certainly doesn't look like a bishop here. >> what pastor in his right mind sends a picture of himself posing in a bathroom in a muscle shirt? none. none that i know of. >> reporter: at the funeral of c

eastern here on cnn. >>> coming up, another accuser speaking out against bishop eddie long. the fourth man to come forward. also tonight what happens when the republican candidate for governor of new york took exception to one of the reporters covering him. here's a taste of it. >> of course you'll get it at the appropriate time. at at appropriate time you'll get it. >> reporter: you're the attorney general of new york. how'd you do that? do what? it tastes too good to be fiber. you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. do it again. turn it into something tasty. this guy's doing magic. there's chocolate chips in here now. how'd you do that? right! tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. what's she thinking? that's right! i'm not thinking anything! [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars. cardboard no. delicious yes. promising 25,000 miles a flight only to be told... there's nothing for 25. but they will let me give you the same seat for a big miles upcharge. how's that sound? for that many miles we'll be stuck taking a "stayc

plus, clergy crisis, a battle bishop eddie long vows to fight sex allegations. this is the "cbs morning news." get up, get moving. subway has breakfast. and it's a slam dunk. i like my breakfast sandwich with green peppers, onion, banana peppers and mustard. i like eggs with black forest ham on wheat. with everything. i like a little kick. that's a good call. i like mine with egg whites. and... a napkin. [ male announcer ] have you built your better breakfast? now's the time! try our better-for-you western egg white muffin melt or the dee-licious double bacon egg and cheese on toasty flatbread. subway. build your better breakfast. i love my grandma. i love you grandma. grandma just makes me happy. ♪ to know, know, know you grandma is the bestest. the total package. grandpa's cooooooooool. way cool. ♪ grandpa spoils me rotten. ♪ to know, know, know you ♪ is to love... some people call us frick and frack. we do finger painting. this is how grandpa and i roll. ♪ and i do [ pins fall ] grandma's my best friend. my best friend ever. my best friend ever. ♪