The Note: Republicans Wrangle in Wisconsin

— -- NOTABLES

--WHY SCOTT WALKER IS GRABBING THE SPOTLIGHT BEFORE TUESDAY'S DEBATE: He may not be on stage for the Republican debate tonight, but that doesn't mean that Scott Walker won't be getting attention. The Wisconsin governor, who dropped out of the presidential race in September, is in high demand while Republican candidates descend on his home state for the fourth GOP debate. Walker remains a prominent conservative figure in the GOP and one of the most broadly-known Republicans who isn't currently in the 2016 race. An endorsement from Walker could boost the campaigns of several GOP presidential candidates. Jeb Bush appeared with Walker Monday for an event highlighting education reform and Wisconsin's school choice program. He also met with Marco Rubio. ABC'S RYAN STRUYK has more. http://abcn.ws/1HD3egk

--ANALYSIS -- ABC's RICK KLEIN: The doctor is in, and he may be safe. The hottest storyline entering Tuesday night's Republican debate involves Ben Carson and the multiple storylines involving his personal history. But who will want to take on the good doctor? Seven in 10 Republican view him favorably, in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. Media bashing, moreover, has intensified in the two weeks since the last debate. Donald Trump may go there, and the risk to his support posed by Carson is real and acute. Trump, though, he seems certain to be alone in wanting combat with the genial Carson, who could easily fade into the background, as he has at previous debates. That will leave additional scrutiny on Jeb Bush, whose attack on Marco Rubio last time around seems only to have backfired. And one thing observers and participants have learned since the last debate: Pay close attention to Ted Cruz, who tends to be a longer game than his rivals on debate stages.

--CARSON LEADS IN POPULARITY OVERALL: Ben Carson trumps The Donald in terms of basic popularity among all Americans, but the two candidates are essentially even among Republicans --- and well ahead of their top competitors, ABC's GARY LANGER and GREGORY HOLYK report. Heading into the latest GOP presidential debate, 71 percent of Republicans see Ben Carson favorably and 69 percent feel the same about Donald Trump. Both non-politicians outpace their more traditional rivals in this measure --- Marco Rubio, seen favorably by 58 percent of Republicans; Jeb Bush, 56 percent; and Ted Cruz, 53 percent. On the flip side, Bush has the highest negatives within the party, rated unfavorably by 37 percent of Republicans. On another measure, though, he has company: Twenty percent of Republicans see both Bush and Trump "strongly" unfavorably, vs. 7 percent for Cruz and a mere 4 percent for Carson and Rubio. http://abcn.ws/1MvIVXY

--NEW FROM TEAM RUBIO: A new web video that serves as a prebuttal to reports in The New York Times that the super PAC supporting Jeb Bush plans to go after Rubio hard in the days to come. The video is titled, "Before The Phony Attacks," and features several clips of Bush praising Rubio: https://youtu.be/rf_xHVKvIEw

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

LINDSEY GRAHAM'S LAUNCHES NEW ADS: Republican candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who won't appear on the debate stage tonight, has made no secret he's taking a page from the presidential playbook of BFF, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. in making the New Hampshire primary his early state target. And no surprise here: Not only has the GOP presidential candidate released his first TV ad in New Hampshire - and two new radio ads in throughout New England - but he's also recruited McCain for a starring role, according to ABC's ALI DUKAKIS. WATCH: 'Make It Count': http://bit.ly/1lhGwG8 LISTEN: 'Guts': http://bit.ly/1SEP4SA 'Consider': http://bit.ly/1SEP4Sn

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and PAOLA CHAVEZ

BERNIE SANDERS ROLLING OUT NEW HAMPSHIRE TEAM. The last few weeks have been good ones for Hillary Clinton: a "Saturday Night Live" guest appearance, a well-regarded debate performance, and testimony on Benghazi that appear to avoid any new controversies. Her poll numbers have risen, too. All this may be reason for Bernie Sanders supporters to be concerned in New Hampshire, the early-voting state in which he's expected to fare best. But perhaps most troubling has been the Vermont Senator's difficulty in garnering endorsements from state lawmakers. But they may be on their way. A Bernie Sanders spokesperson tells ABC News that the campaign expects to roll out a New Hampshire steering committee this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday, ABC's BRAD MIELKE reports. It will feature "well-known activists, labor leaders, community activists, and some sitting state legislators," according to the spokesperson. http://abcn.ws/1klX0Nf

HILLARY CLINTON FILES FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN N.H. Clinton has officially filed to be on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary-- her 4th time doing so. She did it in both '92 and '96 on behalf of her husband, and then of course in 2008. She took questions from reporters after she signed the papers and then had a rally outside of the statehouse. Clinton was asked about Sanders' comment that he and Clinton differ on virtually everything. She said she disagrees. "Of course not. Look, I think that we are in the political season, and people, you know, they say all sorts of thing, but of course not. I mean that would mean that he doesn't agree with me on equal pay for equal work, and doesn't agree with me on paid family leave, and make sure that he does not agree with making sure that incomes rise, including raising the minimum wage, that's you know, obviously not the case." Clinton was also asked about Sanders filing as a Democrat (versus an independent) and she made sure to note that she is a "proud Democrat," ABC's BRAD MIELKE and LIZ KREUTZ write. Clinton was asked if she expects more fire between the candidates during the Democratic debate on Saturday. She said, "Let's wait and find out."

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS SAYING ABOUT BEN CARSON. No surprise here, but White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest doesn't agree with Ben Carson's claim that he's been under more scrutiny as a presidential candidate than then-Senator Obama in the 2008 presidential election. "I don't agree with that statement," Earnest said when asked to respond to Carson's claims about a double standard by ABC's Jonathan Karl. Earnest, a top comms staffer on Obama's first presidential campaign, said the media scrutiny is part of the candidate vetting process -- noting that it was "difficult" when Obama's past was scrutinized during that first campaign, ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL reports. "It's not easy to run for president, it shouldn't be," he said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

CLINTON ON DONALD TRUMP'S 'SNL' RATINGS. It appears Hillary Clinton was not so impressed by Donald Trump's performance last weekend on "SNL." When asked what she makes of the fact that SNL had better ratings the night he was on than when she was, Clinton had a snarky response: "Compare the performance," she quipped. Clinton made this remark during a press availability with reporters following filing for the New Hampshire primary, ABC's LIZ KREUTZ notes.

WHO'S TWEETING?

@mikiebarb: Bush world threatening wave of attacks on Rubio. Mike Murphy boasts of up to $20M to wound him. Me w/@maggieNYT http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/us/politics/bush-allies-threaten-wave-of-harsh-attacks-on-rubio-an-ex-mentee.html ...

@politico: The political arm of The Heritage Foundation has released a detailed assessment of the 2016 GOP presidential field http://politi.co/1SEb8N6

@ScottFConroy: IMPORTANT: @JebBush tells me he would go back in time to kill Baby Hitler & explains why: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeb-bush-on-killing-baby-hitler_5640e1b6e4b0411d3071da54?eoy9zfr ...

@business: He may be lagging in the polls, but South Carolina donors are investing in Lindsey Graham http://bloom.bg/1kkaAAI

@MrWalterShapiro: I hope debate panel asks Carson more about his liberal end-of-life views than wasting time in weeds about his bio: http://bit.ly/1SelTF1