Party of One

Godfrey then noted that "those things are not something we can see as we're sitting here, would that be correct?" Wilson invited Godfrey to come up to the witness stand and "I'll show it to you." A trial lawyer claims that Wilson muttered under his breath -- not on the record -- to Godfrey: "You'll see the rumors about black men are true!"

Wilson contends he actually whispered, "You'll see the rumors about black men aren't true." In the context of the testimony, that explanation doesn't make sense.

Given the heightened hostility between Wilson and the party establishment, it's certain he'll face a challenge in the spring Democratic primary. State Board of Education member Alma Allen ran against Wilson two years ago and will likely get support from peeved party officials eager to remove a major embarrassment.

"If he gets an opponent, it will be because somebody doesn't like how they're being represented," says Representative Coleman. "I believe there are people out there who live in District 131 who do not believe they've been well represented."

"They've been trying that for the last two years, and I expect them to keep trying," responds Wilson, who shows no signs of cooling his rhetoric. "But…Chris Bell's got more to worry about than someone running against me. What he's got to worry about is somebody running against him, in a district that's going to be over 70 percent African-American."

Bell claims to be unconcerned. Referring to the representative's wager of his house on a Bell defeat, the congressman chortles: "If you look at polls, it looks like Mr. Wilson will be moving soon."