php Field wont insert into the database

[game_over]

Having trouble inserting some data into a database, basically i'm scraping data from an RSS feed and looping through each entry and inserting it into a database but when it gets to the 'content' field it fails, but there is no errors, it just wont insert.. if i remove the content field then it inserts just fine so i think thats the culprit.

$RSS_DOC = simpleXML_load_file($feed_url);


foreach($RSS_DOC->channel->item as $RSSitem) {

    $content = $RSSitem->description;

    $item_insert_sql = "INSERT INTO default_posts(content) VALUES ('$content')";

    $insert_item = mysql_query($item_insert_sql, $db);

}

$RSSitem->description would be: 

[code]

<description><![CDATA[Madonna celebrated Yom Kippur in New York City on Tuesday (25.09.12). <BR>
The 'Celebration' singer is a devotee of Jewish offshoot Kabbalah and joined with other followers of the religion to celebrate the Day of Atonement, the holiest day in the calendar for Jewish people.<BR>
Madonna, 54, arrived at the city's Park Avenue Armory wearing a bright purple sweat suit with the number 86 on them and a hat with the word 'Vogue' written on it. <BR>
A source told the New York Post newspaper: "Madonna was the last to arrive, and it seemed like they were holding up the ceremony to wait for her. <BR>
"She came through a back entrance with her daughter, Lourdes, and was seated in the front row. Once she was seated, it could begin. All the men were in white but Madonna had a loud track suit on. Also there was her younger boyfriend [Brahim Zaibat], who arrived wearing cream." <BR>
While her entrance may have caused a stir, the 'Hung Up' singer certainly focused during the service, and appeared oblivious to those around her, including fashion designer Donna Karan, who was seated nearby. <BR>
The witness added: "[Madonna] definitely set herself apart from everyone else. She is like the queen of Kabbalah."<BR>
A statement on the Kabbalah website explains the religious day's significance, saying "[During] Yom Kippur, we sit on the throne with Binah and remove the fog in our lives for the entire year to come." <BR>
Earlier this week, Madonna was forced to clarify comments she made at a concert on Monday (24.09.12) in Washington, where she referred to the US president as a "black Muslim," despite him being openly Christian.<BR>
Madonna said she was "being ironic," adding: "Yes, I know Obama is not a Muslim, though I know that plenty of people in this country think he is."]]></description>
[/code]

if i $echo description; it prints correct so i know it's pulling the data but why wont it go into to the DB? the $content field is set to LONGTEXT.

Does it have anything to do with <![CDATA[ ?

Any suggestions?