The Seattle City Club is being picky about which candidates get invited to its school board debate Aug. 16. No candidates in the West Seattle District Six made the cut, though candidates in districts one and three will appear even though they have no primary.

Only three of five candidates in District two were invited, incumbent Darlene Flynn, Sherry Carr and Lisa Stuebing. Left out were the United Way manager Patrick Kelley and recent high school grad Courtney Hill.

City Club Program Coordinator Jessica Jones told the Times' Emily Heffter that the club has a policy that guides which candidates get invited. Heffter tells me this includes candidates' standing in polls, whether candidates are up to date in their Public Disclosure Commission filings and how much money candidates have raised outside of their own families and workplaces.

That leaves me to wonder how David Blomstrom earned an invitation. He's running for the District 3 seat now held by Brita Butler-Wall. On his Web site Blomstrom calls the incumbent "a lying, conniving whore" and adds, "which pretty much describes everyone else on the Seattle School Board."

Blomstrom tracks what he calls the Seattle Mafia.

The city of Seattle is effectively ruled by a group of shadowy characters who are as rich and powerful as they are corrupt.

...

By extension, the term Seattle Mafia can also include people who work for Bill Gates and his cronies, including an army of media whores, phony activists and other operatives.

Jones said City Club limits the number of candidates because members want "quality interaction — we want to make sure we have a quality discussion." Blomstrom certainly should help get that done.

Even some who made the cut are unhappy with invitation list. Said Flynn:

"Since they're being so discerning about the candidates, I might want to be discerning about the forums I participate in."