By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES

• IF AND WHEN HILLARY CLINTON RUNS FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN, history will record that her campaign began in all but name with a swarm of young and "ready" activists, stage-managed banter about grilled hunks of Iowa meat, and a concession that she's "thinking about" what she referred to only as "that other thing," ABC's RICK KLEIN, LIZ KREUTZ and JONATHAN KARL report from Indianola, Iowa. "Hello Iowa - I'm baa-aack!" Clinton told a crowd of more than 6,000 gathered to honor the retiring Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, on a field outside Des Moines that's used for ballooning competitions. "I've got a few things on my mind these days," Clinton added, drawing rising applause from the group of Democratic activists. "First and most importantly, Bill and I are on constant grandchild watch." She said she just might have to sprint off the stage if Chelsea goes into labor, and added: "Then of course - there's that other thing. Well it is true, I am thinking about it. But for today, that is not why I'm here. I'm here for the steak." http://abcn.ws/1s5Syye

• THE SCENE: Conversations with a range of attendees revealed more acceptance than eagerness about another Clinton campaign, KLEIN, KREUTZ and KARL note. Virtually all said they'd likely support Clinton. But several attendees offered up other potential Democrats - notably Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts - as people they'd like to see run as well. Clinton was the only potential 2016er to attend the Steak Fry, which has historically been a proving ground for Democrats in advance of the Iowa caucuses. Yet the Clintons spent little time mingling with possible caucus-goers; they arrived via motorcade at the back of the sprawling field, and even their few moments of grilling time was fenced off from the press and attendees. http://abcn.ws/1s5Syye

• BUT TOM HARKIN STILL HAS QUESTIONS: Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said progressives should raise questions about Clinton's foreign policy and economic positions. "As someone who has carried the liberal, progressive populist banner for many years, we're always nervous about people moving too far to the right," Harkin told ABC's JONATHAN KARL for "This Week." "See we, a lot of us believe the center ought to be moved back, that the center has moved too far right." Asked where Clinton's positions fell on the political spectrum, Harkin responded, "Well, I don't know, I mean I think this is something that will be developed and we'll find out when, if she, if she decides to run. You know, what's her vision for America?" When asked if he had "real questions" about Clinton's stances on issues, Harkin said, "I do about everybody" considering a run for the White House. http://abcn.ws/1y2JWB9

THE ROUNDTABLE:

ABC's RICK KLEIN: There was nothing overtly off about Hillary Clinton's first Iowa trip of the year, which happened to be her first in seven years. But neither was there much that was particularly "on." If anything, it underscored the importance of the grass-roots organizing that's been happening without her permission, though almost certainly with her consent. If you had taken away the "Ready for Hillary" presence in the crowd, it would have been a gathering of interested through hardly enthusiastic Iowans - not that different than any presidential contender is likely to get a year and a half before the caucuses. Even Bill Clinton didn't ignite much excitement with his call for electing Democrats this year - a measure of Democrats' midterm challenge, and possibly larger concerns as well. None of this suggests that Hillary Clinton, should she run, won't win the nomination, possibly quite easily. But if you're looking for presidential fervor - which is admittedly hard to find this far out - you wouldn't have found it in the balloon field that hosted the final Harkin Steak Fry.

ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: You may think the most exciting event in politics happened yesterday when Hillary Clinton hinted at 2016, Tom Harkin called the former and possible future first couple the "Comeback Couple," and the former Secretary of State all but kicked off her campaign for 2016 at the Harkin Steak Fry (while focusing on 2014, of course). Well, you may be right. But, we still have a quite a lot of early state action this week. All eyes may be on Clinton, but Vice President Joe Biden is following her to the presidential testing grounds of Iowa with an event in Des Moines Wednesday. On the other side of the aisle, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will again visit the first primary state of New Hampshire stumping for gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein and Senate candidate Scott Brown, also on Wednesday. And Ted Cruz is in the First of the South state of South Carolina speaking at a GOP lunch today. Just weeks away from the 2014 midterm elections, it sure feels like 2016.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

REAL RETAIL POLITICS: WHICH PARTY'S CAMPAIGN ARE YOUR CHEERIOS FUNDING? Are die-hard Democrats and far-right Republicans inadvertently bankrolling the other party's campaigns? As it turns out, partisan-charged transactions are taking place every day, and in an unlikely place: The grocery store checkout line. With 2014 midterm elections now in full swing, how can you avoid filling the opponent's pockets with your bread and butter money? There's now an app for that: BuyPartisan. "For the first time, we made it easy for people to be able to take a product that they see on their everyday grocery store shelves and be able to take their smart phone and … scan the barcode and instantly be able to figure out whether the political party behind the product that they're buying matches their own values," Matthew Colbert, CEO of Spend Consciously, Inc., told "The Fine Print's" JEFF ZELENY. WATCH: http://yhoo.it/1m7WB04

BUZZ

BILL CLINTON IS A BIG FAN OF READY FOR HILLARY. At the Iowa Steak Fry you couldn't miss them even if you tried, ABC's JONATHAN KARL and LIZ KREUTZ note. Members of the pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Ready for Hillary were out in droves: signing up new volunteers, slapping their bumper stickers on attendees' cars, handing out T-shirts and pins with Clinton's face - and cheering like fan girls at any and all mentions of Hillary Clinton running for president in 2016. Hillary Clinton rarely, if ever, mentions the group that's essentially considered her "campaign-in-waiting." But yesterday, her husband, Bill Clinton, gave them some rare encouragement. "Amazing. They are amazing," Clinton said during an impromptu press conference at Tom Harkin's 37th and final Steak Fry this afternoon. "You know I saw some of them here. I think with the rules we're not supposed to have any contact with them. They're like Energizer Bunnies. They're just everywhere." While he had positive words for his wife's fans, he gave a clear no-comment when asked whether she would disappoint those supporters by not running. "I will not be baited. I cannot be baited," he said while walking away. "I'm waiting to be a grandfather, and I want a happy grandmother." http://abcn.ws/XkulvK

WHITE HOSUE CHIEF OF STAFF EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE IRAQI ARMY CAN TAKE ON ISIS. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, saying the United States is at war with ISIS, yesterday expressed confidence in the Iraqi army to take on the militant Islamic group even though it has failed to do so effectively in the past. "There is now a new multi-ethnic government in Baghdad. They will support a unified, capable multi-ethnic Iraqi force so that they can take this fight to ISIL," McDonough said on "This Week." ISIL is also known as ISIS or the Islamic State. The White House chief of staff was asked by ABC News's Martha Raddatz if there is a limit how many U.S. troops will be sent to Iraq. "I'm not in a position right now to tell you limits one way or the other," he said. http://abcn.ws/1sRlnm4

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: ROGER GOODELL 'SHOULD GO' IF HE LIED. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., added his voice to the growing debate surrounding NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's fate, saying that Goodell "should go" if he lied about the NFL not having seen the violent video of former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice knocking his then fiancé unconscious until TMZ posted the video last Monday. "If Roger Goodell lied, as a lot of people believe he did - because the security apparatus of the NFL is so competent and experienced that for them to not have known about this tape seems incredible - he should go," Blumenthal said yesterday on "This Week," ABC's MICKI FAHNER reports. Goodell has been under fire from critics who believe someone in the NFL must have seen the video of Rice hitting his then-fiancée, Janay Palmer. http://abcn.ws/1qOMBJA

WHO'S TWEETING?

@MarkHalperin: My Sunday conversation w/ @billclinton in Iowa on Georgia, Arkansas & Kentucky Senate races. VIDEO #ClintonClassic http://www.bloomberg.com/video/bill-clinton-in-iowa-on-how-to-win-in-the-south-m~XL94zeQVOVGWJ8jmNYEg.html …

@PhilipRucker: "Why Hillary hates Iowa" - @politicoroger on Clinton's "careful, modulated, meticulous" Hawkeye return http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/2016-elections-hillary-clinton-110942.html?

@SalenaZitoTrib: Democrats' Coalition Showing Signs of Strain http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/09/14/dems_coalition_showing_signs_of_strain_123971.html#.VBbP6lITl31.twitter …

@maggiepolitico: Spotted walking quickly through the DSM airport: Steve King

@GovernorOMalley: Thrilled O'Malley's March could take part in the #StarSpangled200 celebration. Great weekend in #Baltimore.