In a presidential election year, Mr. Akins said, a military strike could be seen as a crass attempt to garner votes for an economically beleaguered Administration.

To many, weighing in at that moment seemed a crass attempt to push the talks toward a conclusion favoring the Palestinians.

"This is not a crass attempt to get people to buy gizmos they don't need," he said in an interview.

This is at first glance a very crass attempt to cash in on America's love affair with the Mafia myth.

There are a few chuckles initially, especially watching Mahmut's awful, crass attempts to pick up women, and his obsession with pornographic movies.

"It's a crass attempt to embrace the values and principles of the Democratic Party," said Lisa Cutler, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Kennelly's campaign.

And no one of breeding would print a telephone number on a business card; this seemed a crass attempt to make the acquaintance of strangers.

- Miliband has accused Cameron of engaging in a "crass" attempt to silence members of the armed forces.

The opening of Council meetings, despite the crass attempts by the new British Foreign Secretary to preserve secrecy, is a step in the right direction.

"It's a blatantly crass attempt by the State's Attorney of Cook County to garner publicity against a politician of the opposite party."