John Cusack stars in political ad

Los Angeles – Pop quiz: Why has John Cusack jumped into the political arena with a video saying John McCain is a clone of President George W. Bush who would continue policies the actor says benefit war profiteers?

“I know my opinion doesn’t matter more than anyone else’s and I just make films,” he told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday. “But I do feel you have to speak out, and that’s what I’m doing.”

The 30-second video, which went out to members of the liberal political activist group MoveOn.org on Wednesday, will begin airing on television today. In it, Cusack offers a “pop quiz” to voters, asking them among other things: “Who supports keeping our troops in harm’s way in Iraq but not the bipartisan G.I. bill of rights to support them when they return home?”

McCain and Bush both do, Cusack says, adding, “Bet you can’t tell them apart.”

The ads will appear nationally on the Bravo cable channel and in Washington, D.C., on CNN, MSNBC and Comedy Central.

In his latest film, the satire “War Inc.,” Cusack makes no secret that he believes the Iraq war was created to profit private businesses that hold war-related contracts worth millions of dollars.

Boy George to sing for sanitation crews

New York – Boy George is returning some good karma to New York City’s sanitation workers: Two years after sweeping the city streets as part of community service, he has decided to perform a free concert for his former co-workers.

George will sing some of his hits for the Department of Sanitation’s Family Day on Aug. 17.

“The people I worked alongside showed great kindness to me at a very difficult time, and I wanted to thank them all in a way that would show my appreciation,” he said.

The British singer was ordered to work for the department after pleading guilty to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment. The police officers who responded there found cocaine.

Rodney King to go to ‘Celebrity Rehab’

Los Angeles – Rodney King will appear in the next installment of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.”

The show features famous people dealing with drug and alcohol problems aided by addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky.

King, whose 1991 beating by Los Angeles police led to deadly rioting the next year, prompting him to make a famously earnest plea for peace, will appear with actor Jeff Conaway, former Guns ‘N Roses drummer Steven Adler, Rod Stewart’s son Sean and actress Tawny Kitaen.

The new season is scheduled to premiere in October.