The Note 2/20/2015

The Note: "An Ugly Lie" and a Coming Ground Offensive

By SHUSHANNAH WALSHE (@shushwalshe )

NOTABLES

• IRAQI GROUND OFFENSIVE TO RETAKE MOSUL COULD BE LAUNCHED AS EARLY AS APRIL. U.S. military officials believe that the Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul from the militant group ISIS could come as early as April and involve between 20,000 to 25,000 Iraqi troops. The plan could be delayed depending on training and equipment schedules for the Iraq troops that would be involved in the offensive, a U.S. Central Command official said, noting that ISIS is on the defensive and that the U.S. military plan against ISIS is "slightly ahead of the campaign." The official provided unusually detailed plans in a briefing for Pentagon reporters about the long-awaited push by Iraqi forces to retake Iraq's second-largest city from the 1,000 to 2,000 ISIS fighters believed to there, ABC's LUIS MARTINEZ reports. U.S. military officials are typically reticent in providing details about the timing or force levels of planned military offensives. When asked why so many details about the planned offensive were being provided, the official said it was "to describe the level of detail that ISF are doing and the level of commitment that they have to this and the significance of this upcoming operation." http://abcn.ws/1z4sR4d

• WATCH ABC's JONATHAN KARL on GOOD MORNING AMERICA today. He reports on the Pentagon's new plans to battle ISIS, as well as that "ugly lie," and those Rudy Giuliani comments: http://abcn.ws/1Acl7lP

• PRESIDENT OBAMA REJECTS 'NOTION THAT THE WEST IS AT WAR WITH ISLAM.' President Obama Thursday challenged the idea that terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic State are connected to the Islamic faith during remarks at the White house Summit to Counter Violent Extremism. "The notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie," Obama said. "And all of us - regardless of our faith - have a responsibility to reject it." Speaking at the State Department on the third day of the summit, he called on countries to address the conditions, or "political grievances," that terrorists exploit such as human rights violations, lack of free speech and tension between social groups, ABC's STEPHANIE EBBS and DEVIN DWYER report. "We need to break the cycle of conflict, especially sectarian conflict, that have become magnets for violent extremism," he added. The president said that the coalition of 60 countries that has been conducting air strikes against ISIS "will not relent" to destroy the organization in Ir a q and Syria. http://abcn.ws/1E9KbLJ

• ANALYSIS-ABC'S DEVIN DWYER: While the president promoted a softer approach to fighting extremism, his Pentagon was doubling down on the military campaign, unveiling in unusual detail a coming military operation to re-take Mosul from ISIS. The northern Iraqi city is the crown jewel of the extremist group's so-called "caliphate" in northern Iraq. Why did the Pentagon announce the operation now, and why reveal (to the enemy) in such detail what is going to happen? Perhaps it was meant as a deliberate counterpoint to the White House summit on countering violent extremism, which focused on and received criticism for its focus on jobs, political inclusion and human rights as solutions. There's also the big question of whether American troops would be involved in such an operation - that's a decision that President Obama would have to make as Congress weighs whether to give him the formal authority.

• ANALYSIS-THE NEW YORK TIMES' PETER BAKER AND JULIE HIRSCHFIELD DAVIS: As he sought to rally the world behind a renewed attack on terrorism, President Obama argued on Thursday that force of arms was not enough and called on all nations to "put an end to the cycle of hate" by expanding human rights, religious tolerance and peaceful dialogue. But the challenge of his approach was staring him right in the face. His audience of invited guests, putative allies in a fresh international counterterrorism campaign, included representatives from some of the world's least democratic and most repressive countries. The three-day White House conference on violent extremism that Mr. Obama wrapped up on Thursday provided a case study in the fundamental tension that has bedeviled the American struggle with terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. While Mr. Obama has concluded that radicalism is fueled by political and economic grievance, he has found himself tethered to some of the very international actors most responsible for such grievances, dependent on them for intelligence and cooperation to prevent future attacks. "There is a very profound conceptual disagreement about whether the best way to counter violent extremism is through human rights and civil society or through an iron fist," said Marc Lynch, director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University. http://nyti.ms/1z5i0Hc

• AND WHAT'S WITH RUDY? A RE-CAP. FIRST THIS: "I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America," Giuliani said at a dinner in New York City, according to Politico. "He doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country." http://abcn.ws/1EZo4pf THEN DNC CHAIR DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ REACTS: "If the Republican Party really wants to be taken seriously, really wants to avoid its problems of the past, now is the time for its leaders to stop this kind of nonsense. Enough… I would challenge my Republican colleagues and anyone in the Republican Party to say enough. They need to start leading." http://abcn.ws/1EZo4pf THEN THIS FROM OBAMA SPOKESMAN ERIC SCHULTZ, according to ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ: "Mr. Giuliani test drove this line of attack during his fleeting 2007 run for the presidency. I was obviously not at the dinner… so I'm going to leave it to those at the dinner to assess whether or not they were appropriate…I will say I do agree with him on one thing he said today which is it was a horrible thing to say." AND THEN GIULIANI TO THE NEW YORK TIMES: "Some people thought it was racist - I thought that was a joke, since he was brought up by a white mother, a white grandfather, went to white schools, and most of this he learned from white people," Mr. Giuliani said in the interview. "This isn't racism. This is socialism or possibly anti-colonialism." http://nyti.ms/1DA2fjd

• ON THE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE, according to ABC'S DEVIN DWYER: The White House says the president will push his domestic economic agenda for the middle class in a speech to the DNC this morning and later in a meeting with Democratic governors. This is about laying the groundwork for the Democratic campaign in 2016. He'll highlight minimum wage, paid leave, free community college, immigration, etc., drawing contrasts with Republicans.

• ON THE TRAIL: Sen. Ted Cruz heads to Bush and Rubio territory, keynoting the Duval County Florida Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner. Lindsey Graham is on his second day of a trip to Iowa, where he's having mostly private meetings - but he'll also hold a press conference this afternoon. Also in the Hawkeye State is Sen. Bernie Sanders, who holds a town hall meeting at Drake University in Des Moines. Senator Rand Paul keynotes a victory dinner for the Alabama Republican Party in Montgomery. And the Democratic National Committee will hear from President Obama, as he addresses their Winter Meeting this morning in Washington. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie remains in Washington, where he gave a speech last night - today he'll meet with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, also in town for meetings.- Ali Weinberg

THIS WEEK ON 'THIS WEEK': Sunday on "This Week," George Stephanopoulos goes one-on-one with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. And the powerhouse roundtable debates all the week's politics, with The New York Times' Amy Chozick, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., TIME political columnist Joe Klein, and ABC News contributor and Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. Check the "This Week" page for full guest listings. Be sure to use #ThisWeek when you tweet about the program. TUNE IN SUNDAY: http://abcnews.go.com/thisweek

THE ROUNDTABLE

ABC'S LUIS MARTINEZ: Every reporter's reaction yesterday was the same "Why are you providing so much detail?" when a Centcom official laid out when, where and how many Iraqi troops would be involved in retaking Mosul. This doesn't happen, military officials always want to be vague about the details and want the element of surprise to overtake an enemy. But it's obvious that Centcom playing the psychological card is a part of the plan for retaking Mosul. I believe they want ISIS's 2,000 fighters inside Mosul to know that in two months they could be facing an Iraqi Army ten times as big as they are. The key question is whether the training of the Iraqi troops will be done in time to make this assault realistic, and will it be enough. The official said that six brigades worth of equipment has flowed into Iraq to rearm the Iraqi military.

ABC'S BEN SIEGEL: In a speech to New Jersey business leaders in Washington Thursday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie challenged union leaders to follow his lead on public pension reform, and called on state Democrats to take up his economic policies to create more jobs and encourage businesses to stay in New Jersey. "If we don't do this right, nothing else matters," Christie said. His words are also true when considering any presidential aspirations. While reports of Jeb Bush poaching potential donors and advisors should concern Christie's camp, a poor economic record would be an albatross around the neck of any presidential candidate. The next step for Christie the governor-and Christie the candidate-will be next Tuesday, when he gives his annual budget address to New Jersey legislators.

ABC'S KATHERINE FAULDERS: Okay, let's admit it. 'February' is just as tough to say as it is to spell. That sneaky 'r' in there can confuse just about anyone - including the White House. February's spelling is posing quite the problem for The White House Press Office. On multiple Daily Guidance and Press Schedule's for the president that the White House sends out they have been spelling the month as FEBURARY. To their credit, I guess they are spelling it how it's pronounced. Not only has 'February' created an obstacle for the White House press office, but President Obama is not a fan of the word either. Remember the Obama BuzzFeed video, "Things Everybody Does, But Doesn't Talk About"? Cut to the scene of President Obama looking in the mirror saying "The deadline to sign up for health insurance is Febru…Febru…that's not right…Febru…man! FEBRUARY 15th!" Coincidence, perhaps? Or maybe the White House is intentionally misspelling the word. Who knows. The solution? Let's get this White House to March.

ABC'S TOM SHINE: "Lethal Weapon" star Danny Glover makes a video supporting the U.S. Postal Service. His dad was a postal worker, so was his mother, sister and brother and over Christmas he worked there too, according to Joe Davidson of the Washington Post. So as talks began yesterday between the postal unions and management, actor Danny Glover showed up in Washington for a postal worker pep rally of sorts where he unveiled his video. "Working for the postal service enabled my parents to buy their first home," he says as "family photos are shown in the background." Davidson says after the rally, Glover held a news conference saying "the post office has always provided a space for those needing a living wage. If we're going to talk about rebuilding the middle class…we have to look at the post office." http://wapo.st/1DzQIjP And the video: http://bit.ly/1z5ilK8

WHAT WE'RE READING:

"Chris Christie Losing Home-State Donors as Jeb Bush Makes Inroads," by Matea Gold and Robert Costa of The Washington Post. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is rapidly losing support among some of his most prominent home-state donors and power brokers, who are either hesitant to back him or shifting allegiance to former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Bush's aggressive moves to lock up the Republican Party's premier fundraisers threaten to undercut the Garden State governor before his expected campaign can get off the ground, while raising questions about how robust of a network of support Christie will be able to muster. Bush has stopped short of directly confronting Christie by holding a fundraiser on his home turf. But behind the scenes, he has been quietly wooing, via e-mail, a cadre of high-profile Christie backers, including a group that attended a private dinner with Bush at New York's Union League Club in January. "I've known and admired Jeb for many years and I'm obviously intrigued by his candidacy, or I wouldn't have had dinner or communicated with him in recent weeks," said New Jersey State Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. (R), who chaired Christie's 2009 gubernatorial campaign and attended the New York dinner. "Time will tell how things evolve." http://wapo.st/185COsX

"Critics in G.O.P. Say Chris Christie Is in a 'Bubble,'" by Maggie Haberman and Nicholas Confessore of The New York Times. He does not return phone calls. He does not ask for support. He arrives late for meetings. And he acts as if he has all the time in the world. The complaints have piled up for weeks, dismaying many longtime supporters of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and sending others into the arms of his rivals for the presidential nomination, according to interviews with more than two dozen Republican donors and strategists. As a half-dozen other candidates aggressively raise money and chase endorsements in Iowa and New Hampshire, friends and detractors alike say Mr. Christie's view of his status and pre-eminence within the Republican field is increasingly at odds with the picture outside his inner circle. Policy advisers, donors and even a prominent New Jersey state senator who met his wife through Mr. Christie have all flirted with or committed to rival candidates. One potential donor, Woody Johnson, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets, will back Jeb Bush, according to three people close to the Bush campaign. Mr. Johnson attended a round of Bush fund-raising events on Wednesday in Chicago, where the former Florida governor acknowledged him by name. http://nyti.ms/1ArqoVg

THE BUZZ

with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI:

JEB BUSH RELEASES EMAILS, BUT WILL OTHER GOVERNORS FOLLOW SUIT?

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush released more than 275,000 emails from his time as governor earlier this month. He released the massive cache in the name of "transparency," but will other governors or former governors mulling a 2016 campaign for the White House follow suit? ABC News reached out to every former or current governor mulling or even just flirting with a presidential bid and no one said they would release their emails in a similar fashion, though some declined to comment, ABC'S SHUSHANNAH WALSHE reports . It's important to note that given Florida's accessible open records laws, it's likely Bush also knew his emails would be released whether he was behind it or not. News organizations, including ABC News, got access to the emails before Bush released them thanks to those open records laws… Each state does have their own open records laws and they can vary widely. It's also important to note Bush was well out of office, since 2007, when he released his emails. Five of the governors we asked are still in office including Christie, Pence, Jindal, Walker, and Kasich. http://abcn.ws/1AqOb7Y

WHY THE WHITE HOUSE PICKED 4TH GRADERS FOR FREE NATIONAL PARK ADMISSION. President Obama announced a new initiative yesterday to encourage young children to visit national parks - but it's not all young kids. It's specific to 4th graders. The program, 'Every Kid in a Park initiative,' allows for free admission for fourth graders and their families to all national parks for a full year, ABC's SERENA MARSHALL notes. But what is so special about those awesome 9 and 10 year olds? According to a White House official, the school grade was decided on for "logistical, educational and instructional reasons." "NPS and other land and water agencies already have 4th grade programming in place in many locations," the official said. "Many states focus on state history during the 4th grade, which aligns well with what NPS and other land managers have to offer." The White House also points to 4th graders only having one teacher at that age, making it easier for them to reach the group and research which shows the earlier a youth connects with the outdoors the better for their development long term. http://abcn.ws/1COrHPd

PRESIDENT OBAMA DESIGNATES FIRST NATIONAL PARK IN CHICAGO, OTHERS IN COLORADO, HAWAII. It's always been a dream of President Obama's to designate a national park in freezing conditions, he joked at a speech Thursday in Chicago. That's what he did. The president announced three new national parks yesterday, including one in a Chicago neighborhood he said he used to drive past every day on the way to his first job, ABC's STEPHANIE EBBS writes. It was 6 degrees with winds up to 20 miles per hour in Chicago Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The three new parks - in Illinois, Colorado and Hawaii - are some of 16 federal parks that Obama has created or expanded using the Antiquities Act, first used by Teddy Roosevelt in 1906 to create Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Next year is the centennial of the National Park Service and the new parks are part of a campaign to get Americans and students to "Find Your Park." Representatives of the White House declined to say how much the new parks would cost but said they expected it to balance out with increased visitation and economic benefit to cities around the parks. http://abcn.ws/1Lifu9h

PRESIDENT OBAMA LENDS A HAND TO RAHM EMANUEL IN CHICAGO MAYORAL RACE. During his trip to the frozen city of Chicago Thursday, President Obama squeezed in some time to help out an old friend who is locked in a tight re-election battle - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The president first appeared alongside Emanuel, who served as White House Chief of Staff from 2009 to 2010, at an event designating three new national parks, including the Pullman District in Chicago. "Rahm hasn't just fought for a National Park in Pullman, he's fought for new opportunity and new jobs in Pullman, and for every Chicagoan, in every neighborhood, making sure every single person gets the fair shot at success that they deserve," the president said in a speech at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy. Later in the afternoon, the president and Emanuel visited a campaign office in Kenwood, where the president thanked volunteers for their efforts to re-elect Emanuel. The president's visit comes just five days before Chicagoans cast their ballots for mayor. Emanuel, who is facing off against four other candidates, is leading in the polls, but the incumbent Chicago mayor may not reach the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a run-off, according to ABC's ARLETTE SAENZ. If the mayoral race were to head into the run-off, Emanuel's position as mayor could be at risk if voters whose candidate did not reach the run-off decide to solidify behind another candidate. http://abcn.ws/1zrgwZ3

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

MEET THE ADORABLE SECOND GRADERS WHO SCORED AN INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. It's an opportunity many professional journalists can only dream of: An interview with the president of the United States. But for a group of second-graders in Kansas, that dream has already become a reality. A class of students from Belinder Elementary School in Prairie Village, Kansas, submitted questions to President Obama on behalf of their school newspaper, and the president answered. "What advice do you have for second-graders and other students?" the students wrote to President Obama. "Dream big dreams," President Obama responded. "You are fortunate to live in a country where if you work hard, do the right thing and listen to your parents, you can be anything you want to be." The interview is now published in the latest edition of The Belinder School's newspaper, "The Marbel News." So how exactly does a group of second-graders from Kansas land an interview with the president? Their teacher attributes their success in part to what he calls the "the cuteness factor." It also helped that a parent of one of the students in the class knows White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, and Earnest agreed to pass along some questions to the president's desk, ABC's JORDYN PHELPS notes. "I thought it was awesome, but I also thought it was too good to be true and I was just having a dream," said a student. http://abcn.ws/1CPZ7Nh

WHO'S TWEETING?

@mattzap Maureen McDonnell will be sentenced today. Here's what you need to know: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/everything-you-need-to-know-about-maureen-mcdonnells-sentencing/2015/02/19/da53da76-b3be-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html …

@mkraju Rubio, in interview, begins to highlight his 2016 pitch: He foresaw the problems around globe. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/marco-rubio-foreign-policy-115341.html …

@dannyyadron State Department hasn't been able to get hackers from three months ago out of their email. http://www.wsj.com/articles/three-months-later-state-department-hasnt-rooted-out-hackers-1424391453 …

@realDonaldTrump Gov. Scott Walker just left my office-we had a really wonderful talk. Very interesting! @GovWalker

@mollymhunter The fast food scene at @ZaatariCamp just got a whole lot, well, faster. http://abcn.ws/1EXYpgK via @NasserTouaibia @Refugees #JO #Pizza