By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES

• ABC's JEFF ZELENY REPORTS FROM ARKANSAS: President Clinton is back home in Arkansas today, where a daunting political challenge awaits: Saving the Democratic Party's control of the Senate. It's telling that he's kicking off his final push to the midterm elections by spending two days in Arkansas, imploring voters who once supported him that Democratic policies are still in their best interest. But in the 18 years since his name has been on a ballot here, Southern white Democratic politicians have moved from the endangered list to near extinction. Clinton's chief task is trying to keep Sen. Mark Pryor from being next. Last night, we caught up with Rep. Tom Cotton, who believes he's one month away from knocking off Pryor. He smiled when asked about Clinton, whose political rise he admired as a young boy. "I'm not worried about Bill Clinton's support for Mark Pryor," Cotton told me. "I'm worried about Mark Pryor's support for Barack Obama."

• ALSO HAPPENING TODAY: President Obama will address the Ebola outbreak and his administration's response today for the first time since the deadly virus came to the U.S. The White House has been trying to convince a frightened public that the U.S. is ready to confront this crisis, ABC's MARY BRUCE notes. This afternoon he huddles in the Oval Office with his national security team and senior staff to receive an update on the outbreak and the administration's response.

THE ROUNDTABLE

ABC's RICK KLEIN: A new poll showing independent Greg Orman up 10 points against Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., only ensures that no candidate in the nation will face as much GOP incoming fire as Orman, who has the potential to swing the Senate all by himself. The stakes couldn't be higher for Republicans to try to make Orman into the only thing that could seriously diminish his appeal: a politician. In that sense, Republicans are hurt by the length of Roberts' Washington career. But mostly they're hurt by being associated with a party at all. In a year that could be anti-everybody, Orman is tapping into a powerful and largely inaccessible (at least to most candidates, who happen to be, well, politicians) vein in politics: the disaffected, disappointed outsider. If Orman is able to portray himself as a true outsider to the process, uncorrupted by the parties, he's likely to become a United States senator. Roberts and his allies need to find something that sticks to Orman - and fast.

ABC's JOHN PARKINSON: Late last month, Speaker Boehner told George Stephanopoulos that his party can't afford to ignore geographic regions typically controlled by Democrats. "We can gain seats in this election. And we've got great prospects all over the country," Boehner said during an interview with Stephanopoulos Sept. 25. "But I don't think - you can be a national party if you just ignore one part of the country." For a party looking to improve its support among minorities, women and the LGBT community, Boehner is also expanding the playing field in another respect. This week, Boehner is campaigning across California, ending the swing on the stump this Saturday in San Diego for openly-gay GOP candidate Carl DeMaio. In the process, the Speaker is bucking several conservative groups who have pressed the Republican Party to steer clear of gay GOP candidates like DeMaio, Richard Tisei in Massachusetts and Monica Webhy, a candidate for Senate in Oregon who supports gay rights.

14 FOR 14: THE MIDTERM MINUTE

-ARKANSAS: COTTON PLAYS UP OBAMA'S BALLOT LINE: This is why David Axelrod said Sunday that President Obama was wrong to bluntly say that his policies are on the November ballot. These were the first words out of Tom Cotton's mouth as he spoke to Republicans in Hot Springs Village, Ark. last night: "I've got exciting but surprising news. I've found something on which Barack Obama is right. Yes, yes absolutely. Barack Obama said last week I may not be on the ballot, but every single one of my policies on the ballot, and he's right about that." - Arlette Saenz

-NEW HAMPSHIRE: TWO NEW BROWN ADS ON DEBATE DAY. The Scott Brown campaign is out with two new ads on the day of the first Senate debate. The first touts Brown's 35 years in the National Guard with a narrator saying, "He knows what it takes to keep America safe" and accusing his opponent, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, of supporting "President Obama's failed foreign policy." It also mentions ISIS, which is becoming a frequent mention in campaign ads across the country. The second ad also goes after Shaheen, again trying to align her with the president and accusing her of voting with "President Obama 99 percent of the time." WATCH: http://bit.ly/1s45U2f and http://bit.ly/1uQiswn - Shushannah Walshe

IOWA: ERNST LEADS EARLY VOTING BY TWO POINTS. With just over a month left until the midterm election, the polling margin between GOP Senate hopeful Joni Ernst and Democrat Rep Bruce Braley is only getting tighter. According to an NBC News/Marist poll released on Sunday, Ernst leads Braley 46 percent to 44 percent among voters statewide, including those who are undecided but leaning toward a candidate, as well as those who voted early or by absentee ballot. In an effort to widen this early voting gap, major figures from each party will be campaigning in Iowa this week, including First Lady Michelle Obama and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. - Alisa Wiersema

THE BUZZ

U.S. NOW USING APACHE HELICOPTERS TO ATTACK ISIS IN IRAQ. The U.S. has begun using Apache AH-64 attack helicopters to strike at ISIS targets inside Iraq, the first time the aircraft have been used for offensive strikes since arriving in Baghdad in early July, according to ABC's LUIS MARTINEZ. Their use opens up a new capability in the airstrike campaign against ISIS in Iraq, but one that also comes with risks, as they could be vulnerable to ground fire. A defense official confirms that Apache helicopters were used this weekend as part of four airstrikes on a large ISIS force northeast of Fallujah. The attack was conducted in coordination with Air Force fighter aircraft that supported the operation. A press release by U.S. Central Command said the air strikes near Fallujah "struck two mortar teams, a large ISIL [ISIS] unit and two small ISIL units." http://abcn.ws/1Eh6Ipt

JACK LEW: 'IMPORTANT' THAT HONG KONG PROTESTS BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Sunday it is important to resolve the ongoing pro-democracy protests by thousands in Hong Kong peacefully. "Obviously, we're watching the situation closely. It's very important that the situation be resolved through peaceful discussion," Lew told "This Week" anchor GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, adding that he believed the message had been communicated to the Chinese government. "I think that there have been conversations through our national security channels. The president dropped by when the foreign minister was visiting just last week at the White House," Lew said. "And I think we all need to send the same message. It's important this be resolved through discussion and peaceful discussion." http://abcn.ws/ZKr0Z0

OBAMA THANKS WOUNDED VETS AT OPENING OF NEW MEMORIAL. Delivering a somber speech at the opening of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, President Obama expressed gratitude, recounted the struggles of wounded vets' long recoveries, and said the United States has not always done enough to care for its veterans returning from war, ABC's CHRIS GOOD reports. "With this memorial we commemorate, for the first time, two battles our disabled veterans have fought: The battle over there and the battle here at home," the president said, referring to the long recoveries of American soldiers seriously wounded in fighting wars overseas. Obama called on Americans to welcome veterans home with thanks and dignity. http://abcn.ws/1tqcj4k

WHO'S TWEETING?

@ZekeJMiller: For Secret Service, a delicate dance of guards and guarded http://fw.to/SntiQ0d

@kenvogel: SCOOP: Elizabeth Warren backers ready to spend big super PAC $ if she runs in '16. Already an unsolicited $1M pledge http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/hillary-clinton-donors-2016-elections-111622.html …

@mikememoli: 2 weeks ago today, Pat Roberts stood by as Bob Dole criticized Ted Cruz for shutdown. Thursday, Cruz helps launch Roberts bus tour

@juliehdavis: Great piece that accomplishes a rare feat: a truly original Clintons story, from @llerer in @bpolitics debut http://ow.ly/Cj9eZ

@shiracenter: How One Vulnerable Republican Responds to the 'War on Women' http://roll.cl/1BDMphV via @RollCallAbby