Aiming to raise his profile in Europe, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama meets with German Chancellorr Angela Merkel on his first stop in a whirlwind tour of Europe. He's also scheduled to visit France and Britain.

A week after The New Yorker published a satirical cartoon of Barack Obama and his wife, Vanity Fair decides it won't be outdone. The magazine creates a fake cover -- published on vanityfair.com -- featuring John McCain and his wife in a similar Oval Office setting. He's using a walker and she's cradling an armful of prescription pill bottles. Check out both illustrations and weigh in, below.

Defending his proposal to negotiate with Iran, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama says he would use "big sticks and big carrots" in trying to persuade the country to drop any plans for nuclear weapons. His comments draw fire from the campaign of Republican rival John McCain, which accuses him of backtracking on earlier statements.

GOP presidential candidate John McCain has made a series of verbal slip-ups in the past few weeks, mixing up countries, Shiites and Sunnis and even confusing one NFL team for another. The flubs have given McCain's critics a chance to call attention to his age -- an issue that is a regular target for late-night comics.

Remember the infamous "butterfly" ballot that kept the 2000 presidential election in limbo for weeks? Well, its legacy lives on. Although Congress approved $3 billion for fixing problems with voting systems, poorly designed ballots continue to confuse voters and affect election results, a study says.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama calls for a "political solution" in Iraq, saying the U.S. must turn its attention to the "deteriorating situation" in Afghanistan. Speaking at the first news conference of his overseas strip, Obama says security in Iraq has improved, and reiterates his goal of withdrawing combat troops within 16 months of becoming president.