By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES

• SEVEN IN 10 AMERICANS SUPPORT AIR STRIKES against Islamic State insurgents in Syria, but far fewer back sending U.S. forces to Iraq as advisers - evidence in a new ABC News-Washington Post poll of the political risks of returning U.S. soldiers to that volatile region, ABC NEWS POLLSTER GARY LANGER notes. Fifty-three percent support sending U.S. forces to train Iraqi government troops and coordinate air strikes against Islamic State positions. But that's comparatively modest in terms of support for military action, and 17 percentage points behind the public's endorsement of air strikes. The Obama administration's campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria includes placing U.S. advisers in Iraq to coordinate air strikes, and training of Iraqi forces may occur. The president - perhaps cognizant of broad public dismay with the U.S. intervention in Iraq under his predecessor, George W. Bush - has pledged not to engage U.S. forces in a combat role. http://abcn.ws/1xBc11k

• OBAMA HAS A 50 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING FOR HANDLING THE CONFLICT WITH ISIS in this poll, LANGER writes - far from stellar - but exceeding the 44 percent who disapprove. It's also more than the 42 percent approval of his handling of the situation in Iraq in June and August, before U.S.-led air strikes were extended to ISIS positions in Syria. Notably, Obama receives approval from 30 percent of Republicans and 38 percent of conservatives for his handling of the situation - well short of majorities, but also far above his overall job approval ratings from those groups, 10 and 19 percent, respectively, in an ABC/Post poll in early September. He also gets 45 percent approval from political independents for handling the confrontation with ISIS, 8 points better than his overall job rating from this group. http://abcn.ws/1xBc11k

THE ROUNDTABLE

ABC's RICK KLEIN: Signs of unease are everywhere - in national security threats, economic concerns, another fresh health scare with Ebola, and a true scandal swirling around the Secret Service. None of the other issues are threatening to dislodge jobs and the economy as top voting issues, and there the White House still sees glimmers of optimism. But the problem for Democrats, barely a month out, is that those other concerns are reinforcing general perceptions of an unstable, even scary world. And where the president is aligned with public opinion he's seen that opinion get out in front of himself. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows 50 percent overall support for the president's handling of the ISIS threat, but less support among some of his core voters. This is motivation time, and there's little out there at the moment to motivate Democrats to vote.

ABC's JOHN PARKINSON: One year ago today, the House voted to pass a spending bill that would have averted a government shutdown. But the bill also defunded the Affordable Care Act for one year, incensing Democrats and President Obama. The Senate refused to take a vote on the House GOP measure and the government shut down for 16 days. In one respect, much has happened since then: the launch of healthcare.gov was a debacle to put it nicely - effectively letting Republicans off the hook for blame for the shutdown, former Majority Leader Eric Cantor was upset in a primary and resigned from office, and Congress has approved three stop gap measures to fund the government. But in another respect, nothing has changed on Capitol Hill. Congress is still a bitterly divided, dysfunctional body, lawmakers aren't in town much, and the possibility of another shutdown threat looms in the Lame Duck session - Dec. 11 - when lawmakers will have to take another vote to fund the government. At 11am today, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds a news conference at the Capitol to mark the occasion.

ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: We recently marked the one year anniversary of the Bridgegate scandal so how is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doing in his home state? According to a new Quinnipiac poll, Garden State voters are giving their governor one of his lowest job approval ratings ever. With 46 percent approving of the job he's doing and 45 percent disapproving. This is very close to his job approval in August, which was 49 percent approve to 47 percent disapproval. It's not his lowest, that was in June when he came in with voters approving 44 to 47 percent. There is a gender gap with women disapproving 48 to 43 percent while men approve 51 to 42 percent. Among independent voters, 48 percent approve and 43 percent disapprove. Quinnipiac points out this is just 11 months after his 60 to 38 percent re-election win. Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the poll says it's not just Bridgegate, but the state's budget issues as well. And it's less than five weeks from Election Day, our minds should be completely focused on 2014, but let's take a very short break that to examine Quinnipiac's early 2016 look in New Jersey. When Christie is up against former Hillary Clinton she bests the native son 50 to 40 percent with a 20 percent lead among women. Up against Jeb Bush, she beats him 53 to 32 percent and 55 to 31 percent over Rand Paul. Independent voters back Clinton 46 to 40 percent. MORE: http://bit.ly/1sM6qUv

THE BUZZ with ABC's KIRSTEN APPLETON

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: WHITE HOUSE INTRUSION 'UNACCEPTABLE.' Facing an outraged Congressional committee, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson admitted the agency's security plan "was not properly executed" - calling the September 19 White House intrusion "unacceptable," ABC's JOHN PARKINSON and ERIN DOOLEY report. In a startling security lapse earlier this month, 42-year-old Omar Gonzalez, armed with a 3 ½ inch serrated knife, scaled the north fence at the White House, stormed through the unlocked North Portico door, and barreled past an agent into the East Room just minutes after the First Family had departed the White House. Before he scaled the fence, Pierson revealed that two agents recognized and observed Gonzalez - who was caught with a hatchet tucked in his waistband near the White House earlier this summer - but did not make contact with him or report that he was present before he jumped the fence. About a month earlier, agents had interviewed and released him after officials discovered a sawed-off shotgun and several other weapons illegally stashed in his car in Virginia. Lawmakers also demanded answers about an incident the next day when an unauthorized vehicle was cleared into the White House compound, as well as a 2011 incident when a man fired several rounds at the White House while some of the president's family was inside. http://abcn.ws/1rE14IE

6 SECRET SERVICE SAFEGUARDS BREACHED BY WHITE HOUSE INTRUDER. There were at least six safeguards that failed when a man jumped the fence and got deeper into the White House, according to reports. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson appeared before a House Committee on Tuesday over the biggest breach in security since she took over the post in March last year. "I take full responsibility. It will never happen again," Pierson said at the beginning of the hearing without elaborating. ABC's MEGHAN KENEALLY takes a look at the six secret service safeguards breached by the intruder. http://abcn.ws/Zpdnyf

IN THE NOTE'S INBOX

HAPPENING TODAY: AFL-CIO PRESIDENT RICHARD TRUMKA WILL JOIN MAINE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE MIKE MICHAUD on the campaign trail, making stops in Bath and Waterville. According to an AFL-CIO official, Trumka and Michaud will join workers at Bath Iron Works where they will talk about "the importance of bringing new manufacturing jobs to Maine and prioritizing working families over political special interests." And then Trumka and Michaud will travel to Waterville, where they will join members of United Steelworkers in a picket against Huhtamaki, a Finish-based corporation.

WHO'S TWEETING?

@kakukowski: If you like your Senate, you can keep your Senate - ObamaCare on anniversary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu1MQZoz6zM …

@SaintPetersblog: Top chef Tom Colicchio, other food advocates targeting @Rep_Southerland over food stamp stance. http://wp.me/pShRp-FXE #FlaPol

@newyorktimes: Are Liberals Fundraising Hypocrites?: It's not only the right that uses secretive organizations … http://nyti.ms/YJPNLu #NewYorkTimes

@HotlineJosh: Huck not Pence RT @davecatanese "Mike has always thought 2016 would be his cycle." http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/social-conservatives-supply-core-of-ted-cruzs-support/2014/09/29/f02661d0-4743-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1 …

@TexasTribune: . @byjayroot and @bobbycblanchard's wrap-up of last night's gubernatorial debate in Dallas: http://trib.it/ZpWvHr