Presidential candidate Barack Obama is traveling to Berlin to deliver a public speech on transatlantic ties, which is expected to attract a large audience. Despite initial opposition from Chancellor Angela Merkel to speak at the Brandenburg Gate, Obama will instead address the crowd at the "Victory Column" in Tiergarten park. Obama hopes his speech will emphasize the importance of the relationship between the United States and Europe and how it should be strengthened. The relationship between the United States and Germany deteriorated during Merkel's predecessor Gerhard Schroeder's time, mainly due to his opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, Merkel, who was raised in East Germany, has made efforts to improve relations and has become one of President George W. Bush's closest allies in Europe. Before Obama's visit, Merkel mentioned that she planned to talk about NATO cooperation, climate change, and trade issues with the senator during their morning meeting at the Chancellery. They are also expected to touch on Afghanistan and Iraq, which are the first stops on Obama's tour of the Middle East and Europe. Obama described the situation in Afghanistan as precarious and urgent during his visit to Kabul on Sunday. Both Angela Merkel and John McCain have emphasized the importance of Europe increasing its efforts in Afghanistan. However, Merkel stated that she would inform Obama about the limitations of what Germany could do in the region. The impending Obama visit has been a major topic in German newspapers, leading to disagreements between Merkel and her foreign minister over whether a speech at the Brandenburg Gate was appropriate. Merkel believes that the iconic location should be reserved for presidents, not presidential candidates, and tried to persuade Obama's team to choose a more low-key venue. When asked if he had studied Reagan and Kennedy's Cold War speeches in Berlin to prepare for his visit, Obama responded that, unlike them, he was simply a citizen. He stated that Berlin is a clear example of the successful post-war efforts to unify the continent and the West. Approximately 700 police officers will be on duty during the visit, and city workers have been setting up barriers around the "Siegessaeule" since Monday. Crowd estimates for the event range from 10,000 to nearly a million people. German public television station ARD will air the entire 45-minute speech live at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). According to a Pew Research Center poll, Germans preferred Obama over McCain by a 49 point margin. The popular weekly magazine Der Spiegel focused its weekend edition on the visit, featuring a photo of Obama on the front cover with the headline "Germany meets the Superstar".