Michael Donohue wants Aldo Botti to come out and play.
Donohue, the Democratic candidate for Du Page County Board chairman, says Botti, the Republican nominee, is engaged in a political game of hide-and-seek.
For his part, Botti says Donohue is just being childish.
During a press conference Thursday, Donohue charged that Botti has dodged the voters of Du Page by refusing to appear with him in public forums.
”Mr. Botti has hired a campaign manager who has advised him to avoid joint campaign appearances with me,” Donohue said. ”To me, that is arrogance. He is depriving the voters. He owes it not to me but the voters of Du Page County.
”And I don`t think that someone from Chicago should be dictating the way the race for Du Page County Board chairman should be run.”
Botti`s campaign manager, Chris Robling, is a Chicago-based political consultant. He declined to comment on Donohue`s charges, saying that he never discusses the advice he gives to a client.
But, he added,”If I were 30 points behind in the polls, I`d be complaining about the schedule too.”
”Mike has his opportunity to make his case with voters, and it`s obviously not going well,” Robling said. ”We`re not trying to pull the plug on him.”
Donohue said Botti has not attended public forums six times in the past two weeks. Among those appearances was a taping of the WBBM-TV show, ”The Newsmakers.”
Although the TV show proceeded without Botti, the other forums were canceled because the groups` charters require that all candidates participate. Donohue said he was particularly upset that a meeting with the Du Page Mayors and Managers Conference was canceled because it is a group ”of the most powerful locally elected officials in the county, with whom the next County Board chairman will work very closely.”
”His refusal to appear may be indicative of how he will treat other elected officials, and it`s another example of his arrogance.”
Botti responded by saying he already has met Donohue three times: On Aug. 21, Sept. 15, and last Tuesday night, during a televised debate on cable television.
Another debate is scheduled for Oct. 25 at the York Township hall in Lombard, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons.
”I have a very busy schedule,” Botti said. ”But when he says I`m avoiding him, he`s making a false statement.”
Botti said that he didn`t show up on ”The Newsmakers” because he had promised the sponsors of Tuesday`s debate that they would have the first chance to film the two candidates ”in a direct confrontational situation.”
As for the other meetings, Botti said: ”Sometimes I cannot attend the meetings that are scheduled. I can`t recall all of them. I just can`t be Plastic Man and be all over the place at one time.
”Sometimes I can be there, sometimes I can`t be there. I don`t go in instances where I have other things to do because I`d have to come in late and leave early. That`s insulting to the group.
”If anyone looks at the debate, they`ll see that I`m not afraid to meet with him anywhere.”
And, he said, his law practice and other obligations keep him too busy.
”I can`t be whereever he wants me to be,” Botti said. ”He`s acting like a child. He wants me to drop everything and go stand next to him, and point out his inadequacies. I`d love to do it, but I just can`t do it.”
Donohue replied, ”I guess that means he`s going to be a part-time candidate as well as a part-time chairman,” referring to Botti`s plan to serve only part-time and hire a full-time administrator to run the county.
Donohue has pledged to be a full-time chairman.
