The star of this year's Academy Award-winner for "Best Picture" would like to meet Vice President Joe Biden. His reason? The veep looks "kind of punchy."

Jeremy Renner, who plays a military bomb squad leader in the six-time Oscar-winning flick "The Hurt Locker" revealed his admiration for Biden to ITK last summer during screening of the film for veterans and military families.

"If I were to meet a politician, I would love to meet Joe Biden ... He reminds me of my father [and] of my godfather — he's affable and kind of punchy, and I think it would be a really fun meeting."

Renner said he's not a big fan of politics, but that's "probably because I don't understand them."

Asked why he chose Biden over President Barack Obama, the young actor responded, "I might have better luck at meeting Joe Biden than President Obama."

That might have been true last summer.  But now, with the year's most acclaimed film under his belt, Renner's got a lot more than luck going for him.

The vice president's office declined to say whether Biden might consider inviting the cast of "The Hurt Locker" for a visit, but a spokesman said they were "happy about the win."

The chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus has some feisty words of wisdom for young women interested in running for political office: Don't be so hard on yourself.

After all, guys aren't.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) told an audience Thursday night that even after more than a decade in Congress, she still "obsesses" over the small mistakes she makes in speeches, which she said is a trait more prevalent in women than in men.

Unlike women, "guys have this ability to sometimes not even notice when they screw up," she joked, adding that women should remember that, "Sometimes, 'adequate' is just that, adequate." 

The five-term lawmaker spoke Thursday night to members of The Next Step, an organization devoted to encouraging more women to run for political office and helping them to navigate the often-tricky Washington political waters.

Schakowsky took the mic at about 8 p.m., and said that part of her mission in life is to help other women. She also said that she might never have run for office without the encouragement of others.
 
"So I'm here, asking all of you, inviting you, to run [for office]," she said. 

Following on the (stiletto) heels of Sunday night's Oscar awards, three of Hollywood's most head-turning A-list actresses are heading to Capitol Hill next week to lobby Congress for issues important to women around the world.

Kerry Washington will be in town Monday to celebrate International Women's Day at the White House, where she'll be joined by musician Katharine McPhee and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

On Wednesday, Oscar nominee Reese Witherspoon and Vital Voices will help draw attention to global issues of violence against women.

And on Thursday morning, "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing will hit the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health   at 10 a.m., where she'll testify about HIV prevention efforts in Africa.

As if these weren't enough, bombshell Jessica Biel is rumored to be making a cameo at a film screening reception Tuesday night at the Library of Congress with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and musician Santigold.

First Lady Michelle Obama will present her Inaugural gown on Tuesday morning to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History where it will join the First Ladies Collection.
 
The white chiffon gown that Obama wore to all of the 2009 Inaugural balls will be added a new gallery in the museum’s exhibition called, “A First Lady’s Debut” gallery, where it will join 10 other gowns all worn by first ladies during Inaugural festivities.
 
Designer Jason Wu, the creator of Obama’s one-shoulder floor-length gown is scheduled to attend the Smithsonian induction with Obama next week.
 
With Obama’s addition, the overarching “First Ladies at the Smithsonian” exhibition will be home to a total of 24 dresses and more than 100 other objects, including portraits, White House china, and other personal possessions of former first ladies.
 

Former White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told ITK she is planning to write a book about civility in confrontational situations, something she knows a thing or two about after serving in the press office of the George W. Bush administration for more than seven years.

Perino was the guest of honor at an event Thursday night for The Next Step, a women's political mentoring organization, where she explained that "dignified conflict resolution" is a skill that can be practiced anywhere, by anyone, from the grocery story checkout line to the White House.

Perino is known for her sense of decorum and humor at the White House podium, during what she acknowledges were turbulent times for the country. 

She also told the assembled crowd of young, politically active women that she was inspired by a number of the women in the Bush White House, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, senior adviser Karen Hughes, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chow.

Perino alsoa said she remains in regular contact with her former boss, President George W. Bush, whom she consulted recently before doing a joint appearance in Houston with his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush.  "[President Bush] said I should remind the crowd that he has his daddy's eyes, but his momma's mouth," she joked.

A conservative House candidate who gave an impassioned speech at the national Tea Party convention is happy posing for pictures with prominent Democrats and liberal activists, including President Jimmy Carter and Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Angela McGlowan, a conservative author who is running for the GOP nomination in Mississippi's 1st District, is shown arm-in-arm with President Carter, posing with Rev. Al Sharpton, and smiling in a shot with Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr (D-Ill.). The photos belong to Ms. McGlowan, but they were included in press and publicity materials handed out to journalists, as well as appearing on a website of McGlowan's.

In a separate photo with Jackson Jr.'s father, McGlowan appears to be making a point (maybe she's trying to steer him toward the political right?)

McGlowan, who is also a Fox News analyst and a former Miss District of Columbia, entered the primary race on Feb. 8, and has thus far positioned herself as politically to the right of the other two candidates, state Sen. Alan Nunnelee and former Europa, Miss. mayor Henry Ross. The three are vying for the chance to challenge Democratic Rep. Travis Childers in the GOP-leaning district.

The photos won't win McGlowan any friends among the party's establishment, which is reportedly already frustrated with McGlowan's recent refusal to commit to backing Nunelee in the general election if he defeats her in the June primary.

McGlowan's campaign manager, Anne Marie Turner, told ITK that, "The political silly season has definitely arrived when Angela's opponents try to pass off old photos of her with various people as "news."

The National Republican Congressional Committee is backing Nunelee, the frontrunner.

This item was updated at 2:17 p.m.

Actor Danny Glover, Angela McGlowan, Rev. Al Sharpton, and a fellow guest

Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.) is a big football fan, but his love of the sport apparently doesn't extend to the New Orleans Saints.

Johnson was the only member of the House on Wednesday to vote against a motion to congratulate the National Football League's 2010 Super Bowl winners, who beat the Indianapolis Colts last month to clinch the  title.

Johnson's spokesman declined to speculate as to why the congressman dissed the Saints, but it's not for lack of love for the game.

Johnson recently told the University of Illinois football team that he used to live in the shadow of the school's football stadium, and sold programs to "all the Illinois games" when he was still in middle school.

Fugitives beware: the most powerful man in the free world is coming to "America's Most Wanted." 

President Barack Obama will appear on the 1,000th episode of the long-running Fox manhunt show, set to air at 9 p.m. on Saturday night.