[flexcoders] htmlText in text that originates in XML

[droponrcll]

I have an XML file that looks like this:
[!CDATA[
        <pageContent>
                <txt x="10" y="10" w="120" h="100">
                        The quick brown fox jumped over the 
<b>lazy</b> kitten.                     
                </txt>
                <txt x="430" y="60" w="150" h="100">The quick brown 
fox jumped over the 

stripey kitten.</txt>
                <txt x="100" y="420" w="200" h="50">The quick brown 
fox jumped over the 

rotten tomato.</txt>
                <img x="10" y="60">img.jpg</img>
                <swf x="430" y="160" w="200" h="200">swf.swf</swf>
        </pageContent>
]]

This XML is passed in through ExternalInterface, hence the CDATA 
tags.  I have a repeater that displays all the objects described in 
the XML.  However, I can't seem to get it to respect the <b> tag.  
I've tried wrapping the contents of that tag in CDATA, but all that 
gets me is CDATA on the screen.  When I don't wrap it in CDATA, the 
entire XML tag appears as a result of this expression: 
contentItem.valueOf().toString(), rather than just the bit in the 
middle.

Can anyone point me to something that tells me how you wrap html text 
in the XML file to make it actually work properly inside a textArea?

TIA;

Amy