[bes]

через DOM

<?xml version="1.0"?>
    <methodResponse>
        <names>
            <item>
                Igor
            </item>
            <item>
                Gena
            </item>
        </names>
        <text>
            bla-bla-bla
        </text>
    </methodResponse>
	
<script>
window.onload = function () {
	var obj = {
		names: [],
		text: ''
	}
	var  mr = document.getElementsByTagName('methodResponse')[0];
	var items = mr.getElementsByTagName('names')[0].getElementsByTagName('item');
	var len = items.length;
	for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
		obj.names.push(items[i].innerHTML.replace(/\s/g, ''))
	}
	obj.text = mr.getElementsByTagName('text')[0].innerHTML.replace(/\s/g, '');
	alert('names: [' + obj.names + ']\n text: ' + obj.text)
}
</script>