1. Looks like I can't fix this horizontal issue for now because when I fix it (by placing it in a certain part of the code) on FF and IE, it knocks it off for Chrome and Safari. And, vice versa. So, since IE and FF are more widely used, I'll just go with that for now. Hopefully I'll find the answer at some point for all four major browsers.
Thanks for the suggestions on that Lynne
2. I tried adding $url instead of "URL" in the {URL} portion of the link address. But, that didn't work. Any other suggestions?