So, that happened: This week's news has set the stage for a pair of primary debates and new focus on the front-runners in each party. And as is too often the case, we begin with Donald Trump , whose comments about banning Muslims, including American citizens, from entering the United States have the GOP's Beltway bosses inching toward the panic stations even as Trump's competitors struggle to calibrate a response.

Joining us this week to offer an example of a downright patriotic (and no-words-minced) denunciation of Trump's rhetoric is Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), who's still certain that Trump won't win. Regardless of the outcome, those who abetted Trump's rise need to examine how it happened, and as our guest Ana Marie Cox points out, that includes the media, who transformed a "guy saying shit" into a man with a presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are having another debate and once again it's on a Saturday, leaving us to wonder whether the Democratic National Committee actually wants people to watch. But if they do, there's a good chance we'll learn more about Hillary Clinton's plan to rein in Wall Street, and whether or not that will immunize her against the charges that she's under its thumb.