Left of Center Show

Long time Midwest Democratic mayor, veteran, and US Senate candidate Thomas McDermott, Jr. talks politics, policy, sports, and whatever else he feels like with his long time attorney and political strategist Kevin Smith.

S15 EP3 - Megawatts Are The Best Watts 05/02/2025

S15 EP3 - Megawatts Are The Best Watts Mayor Tom cuts the ribbon on a new fire station; the 100 men vs. 1 gorilla debate that has taken social media by storm; is Trump planning a military parade in his honor on his birthday, or is there more to the story; for some reason, Indiana’s Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith decided to take up a Three-Fifths Compromise debate; LOCPod’s Canadian correspondent Jesse Hirsh talks with Tom and Kevin about why Mark Carney winning Canada’s recent election was a referendum on Trump, why there’s still hope for Canada-US relations, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/36412685

S15 EP2 - That Nose Is Genetic 04/29/2025

S15 EP2 - That Nose Is Genetic Kevin and John visit NYC to see Ricky Gervais; Hammond Civic Center hosted a unique MMA event; Indiana lawmakers ban marijuana advertising; former NY Congressman George Santos sentenced. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/36361075

S15 EP1 - Crack Waffles (feat. Mayor Josh Huddlestun) 04/25/2025

S15 EP1 - Crack Waffles (feat. Mayor Josh Huddlestun) The season 15 premiere – Tom and Kevin went on a ski trip during the season break; Tom’s fundraiser for an 8-year-old Hammond, IN resident fighting cancer was a full success; Tom gave the keynote speech at the annual Obama Dinner hosted by the Allen County Democratic Party; couple robbed at gunpoint in front of their suburban Chicago home turns out to be good friend of Tom’s and former LOCPod guest; Hobart, IN Mayor Josh Huddlestun talks with Tom and Kevin about Hobart’s bid for the potential Lake County convention center. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/36314250

S14 EP23 - The Season 14 Finale (feat. Karen Tallian) 03/21/2025

S14 EP23 - The Season 14 Finale (feat. Karen Tallian) The season 14 finale – Tom is raising money for an 8-year-old Hammond, Indiana girl fighting cancer; medieval cage fighting event coming to the Hammond Civic Center on April 12th; Indiana House passes resolution calling for a term limits change in the U.S. Constitution; golf simulators are coming to the Hammond Sportsplex; Tom takes exception to Hammond School Board President’s remarks in opposition to planned bridge project; new Chairwoman for the Indiana Democratic Party Karen Tallian talks with Tom and Kevin about her desire to bring state Democrats together, her plans as Chair, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35812665

S14 EP22 - Nasty Brits 03/18/2025

S14 EP22 - Nasty Brits Chicago Cubs play in Japan; Kevin has a dream about Tom; a technology snafu at Mayor’s Night Out draws ire from Tom; a French official asks the U.S. to return the Statue of Liberty; Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s home to get state-funded security improvements; Tom sounds off on the state of the Democratic party; Chuck Schumer votes with Republicans in order to avoid a government shutdown; former IN Senator Karen Tallian elected as new Chair for the Indiana Democratic Party and will appear on LOCPod’s season finale this Friday, March 21st. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35751115

S14 EP21 - I Hung Around The Pimps 03/14/2025

S14 EP21 - I Hung Around The Pimps Trump buys a Tesla on the White House lawn; RFK, Jr. and Sean Hannity go to a Steak ‘n Shake; Tom announces that La Arrolladora will perform at Festival of the Lake’s Latin Night on Sunday, July 20th; Pete Buttigieg announces he will not be running for U.S. Senate in Michigan; are some Iowa state election results a harbinger of things to come; Valparaiso, Indiana decides against a data center; is Trump trying to cause a recession in order to refinance trillions of U.S. debt at a lower interest rate? /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35699710

S14 EP20 - Face Of Fertility (feat. Eran Thomson) 03/11/2025

S14 EP20 - Face Of Fertility (feat. Eran Thomson) Tom’s take on what’s going on with the stock market; a DOGE cut impacts the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Griffith, Indiana; Canada has a new Prime Minister; board game designer, writer, director, and joy-pusher Eran Thomson talks with Tom and Kevin about surviving cancer, climbing Mount Everest, his board game Song Saga, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35641145

S14 EP19 - Legions of Lesions (feat. Jesse Hirsh) 03/07/2025

S14 EP19 - Legions of Lesions (feat. Jesse Hirsh) John Cantrell fills in for Tom; Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department work out their ICE issues; causes of death revealed for the three men found frozen in backyard of friend’s home after watching a football game together; Congressman Al Green censured after disrupting Trump’s address to Congress; LOCPod’s Canadian correspondent Jesse Hirsh talks with Kevin about the tariff war, who could be Canada’s next Prime Minister, Premier of Ontario Doug Ford threatening to cut off electricity to the US, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35577480

S14 EP18 - Pure Love (feat. Red Stone) 03/04/2025

S14 EP18 - Pure Love (feat. Red Stone) It’s Tom’s birthday; JD Vance tried to go skiing; Kevin’s hope of Zelensky’s visit to the White House going well are dashed; Porter County, Indiana Councilman Red Stone talks with Tom and Kevin about public school funding in the state, IN Senate Bill 1 and what effect it could have on municipal budgets, billboards he’s putting up opposing another IN Bill that could result in interstate highways becoming toll roads, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35533265

S14 EP17 - It’s All About The Eggs 02/28/2025

S14 EP17 - It’s All About The Eggs What did Kevin’s phone start playing during a meeting; California Governor Gavin Newsom to start a new podcast; new Hammond, Indiana YMCA experiences problems with its open gym basketball; Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard loses re-election bid in a landslide; Brantley Gilbert to perform at Hammond, Indiana’s Festival of the Lakes on July 17; Tesla protests take place across the globe. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35485675

S14 EP16 - How Do You Trump The Atrocities Of That? 02/25/2025

S14 EP16 - How Do You Trump The Atrocities Of That? John Cantrell, GreatNews.Life’s Jenny Craig-Brown, and Steve fill in for Tom and Kevin; 219 Day was this past weekend; Diddy’s lawyer quits; a federal judge blocks the transfer of female transgender inmates to male prisons; Alec Baldwin threatens Trump impersonator; Spanish adult film star charged with manslaughter after a bizarre death involving toad venom. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35424935

S14 EP15 - Your Best Days Are Your Vest Days (feat. Mayor Josh Huddlestun) 02/21/2025

S14 EP15 - Your Best Days Are Your Vest Days (feat. Mayor Josh Huddlestun) A Bill that could lead to every interstate highway in Indiana becoming a toll road somehow passes in the House; 219 Day, a holiday celebrating the Region, is this weekend; Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita fires back against latest disciplinary complaint made against him; Elon Musk calls an astronaut “retarded”; Steve Bannon is clearly not a fan of Elon; Hobart, IN Mayor Josh Huddlestun talks with Tom and Kevin about his city being in the running as a potential site for the Lake County convention center, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35379585

S14 EP14 - Bored To Death 02/18/2025

S14 EP14 - Bored To Death Kevin discovers Substack; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport releases statement after “Electronic Genital Verification” sign goes viral; Tom’s awkward Valentine’s Day dinner; Ford announces potential layoffs; what happened to mass deportations; Elon Musk fathers his 13th child, this time with conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35337700

S14 EP13 - I Just Got Done Getting Stretched (feat. Ren Terry) 02/14/2025

S14 EP13 - I Just Got Done Getting Stretched (feat. Ren Terry) Tom drops his keys in a toilet; are many Indiana roads about to become toll roads; are Ye and his wife splitting up; Chelsea Clinton and Ben Stiller respond to USAID claims; did Elon Musk disrespect the Oval Office with his choice of attire; what did Elon’s son say to Trump; booking agent and promoter Ren Terry, CEO of Go Boyz Entertainment, talks with Tom and Kevin about the music industry, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35287155

S14 EP12 - Not In-Vince-ible 02/11/2025

S14 EP12 - Not In-Vince-ible LOCPod is divided about Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl; Vince Neil’s private jet crashes into another plane on an Arizona runway; Trump imposes steel tariffs; a much-debated overpass project in Hammond culminates with a room full of residents –including Tom– wearing construction vests at a recent city council meeting; did the Navy script their Super Bowl ad after Tom’s life; “Gulf of America” is now official on Google Maps. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35246410

S14 EP11 - Who’s The Main Piece? (feat. Mike Repay) 02/07/2025

S14 EP11 - Who’s The Main Piece? (feat. Mike Repay) Who’s going to win the Super Bowl this weekend; how are Elon Musk’s first couple of weeks on the job going; burglary ring that targeted the homes of professional athletes is busted; Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita accused of professional misconduct again; Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay talks with Tom and Kevin about the future of the IN Democratic Party, his decision to run for Chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, his thoughts on a convention center in Lake County, Taylor Swift, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35193375

S14 EP10 - I Stand With Henyard (On This Issue) 02/04/2025

S14 EP10 - I Stand With Henyard (On This Issue) Tom and Kevin are back; Tom takes exception to a line item he discovers on his restaurant bill; Tom pranks Marissa; Tom responds to accusations that he physically threatened members of an environmentalist group protesting an overpass project in Hammond; a wild update about Dolton, IL Mayor Tiffany Henyard; tattoo artist issues warning after Cardi B gets her butt crack pierced; Ye’s wife Bianca Censori shows off nude outfit on the GRAMMYs red carpet; Tom laments the direction America is heading. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35152330

S14 EP9 - Who’s “Were”? (feat. Phil Taillon) 01/31/2025

S14 EP9 - Who’s “Were”? (feat. Phil Taillon) Phil Taillon, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority CEO, fills in for Tom and Kevin and brings a number of guests with him; SSCVA’s Kristin Taylor talks with Phil about some upcoming events in the area; Jimmy Taillon talks about Hammond’s popular new pickleball facility; a Georgia man ordered a drill online and received a photo of one instead; Steve stops by with his latest iteration of “Tom or Kevin?” trivia game. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35101725

S14 EP8 - DeepSeek (feat. Jesse Hirsh) 01/28/2025

S14 EP8 - DeepSeek (feat. Jesse Hirsh) John Cantrell fills in for Tom; J.D. Vance hires Tucker Carlson’s son; Cardi B gets her “butt crack” pierced; J6 rioter pardoned by Trump is killed by police during traffic stop; Dr. Phil shows up at an ICE raid in Chicago; futurist farmer, media tech researcher, and LOCPod’s Canadian ambassador Jesse Hirsh discusses China’s DeepSeek AI, an interesting reason Trump might want Greenland, Canada becoming the 51st state, tariffs, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/35053655

S14 EP7 - Spread The Message Of Love And Hate 01/24/2025

S14 EP7 - Spread The Message Of Love And Hate Mayor Tom endures another crazy Mayor’s Night Out; Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales’s shocking meeting with the House Ways and Means Committee; Trump signs Executive Order ending birthright citizenship. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34996660

S14 EP6 - The First Amendment Is Great 01/21/2025

S14 EP6 - The First Amendment Is Great Notre Dame loses; Chicago Bears get a new head coach; Trump’s second act begins; did Elon Musk really give a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration parade; Tom sounds off on the way the Democrats handled the TikTok ban; an Indiana State Representative floats a bill that could make it harder to get a divorce. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34943530

S14 EP5 - Tom Yum Soup (feat. Abdul-Hakim Shabazz) 01/17/2025

S14 EP5 - Tom Yum Soup (feat. Abdul-Hakim Shabazz) Kimberly Guilfoyle to be U.S. ambassador to Greece; adult diaper made to be worn at concerts sells out; Caitlin Clark’s stalker’s bizarre court appearance; are Chicago residents about to recall Mayor Brandon Johnson; WIBC radio host, editor of IndyPolitics.org, and attorney Abdul Hakim-Shabazz talks with Tom and Kevin about incoming Indiana Governor Mike Braun, who might be the next Chairman of the IN Democratic Party, the outcome of his defamation lawsuits against embattled Indiana politician Gabe Whitley, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34897060

S14 EP4 - When I Think Of Kevin I Think Of Morning Wood 01/14/2025

S14 EP4 - When I Think Of Kevin I Think Of Morning Wood Tom and Kevin are back; is Gavin Newsom’s political career over; TikTok ban looms. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34852660

S14 EP3 - You Don’t Have To Drink The Whole Ocean To Know It’s Salty (feat. Amy Blaker) 01/10/2025

S14 EP3 - You Don’t Have To Drink The Whole Ocean To Know It’s Salty (feat. Amy Blaker) Amy Blaker and John Cantrell guest co-host; SCOTUS allows Trump’s sentencing in hush money case to go forward; federal appeals court rules special counsel’s J6 report can be released; judge sentences prison officer for having sex with inmate; California wildfires get political; awkward moments at Jimmy Carter’s funeral. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34804755

S14 EP2 - The Opposite Of Robin Hood (feat. Corinne Straight) 01/07/2025

S14 EP2 - The Opposite Of Robin Hood (feat. Corinne Straight) John Cantrell fills in for Kevin; Canada’s Justin Trudeau resigns; Trump’s presidential win certified by Congress on the same week he is to be sentenced in hush money case; Kim Robinson becomes third consecutive Calumet Township Trustee to be indicted; social media political influencer Corinne Straight talks with Tom about Indiana politics, how her TikTok posts led to her recent firing from the City of Elkhart, Indiana, what’s next for her, and more. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34759980

S14 EP1 - Oops 01/03/2025

S14 EP1 - Oops The season 14 premiere – Tom and Kevin talk about something on-air they aren’t supposed to; Tom was in New Orleans during the New Year’s Day terrorist attack; bombing involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas; is Elon Musk the unofficial president? /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34709965

S13 EP25 - M.J. stands for “My Dog” 11/26/2024

S13 EP25 - M.J. stands for “My Dog” The season 13 finale – Tom gets a puppy; John sees Morrissey in Indianapolis; Tom has a bone to pick with someone he once knew; millions of residents across the country, including those in Hammond, IN alarmed by EPA-mandated letter about possible lead in water lines; Denver, CO Mayor Mike Johnston vows to fight Trump’s mass deportation plan. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34165250

S13 EP24 - Schism (feat. Chase McDermott) 11/22/2024

S13 EP24 - Schism (feat. Chase McDermott) Jill returns from Slovakia; Chase McDermott stops by to talk IU football; Matt Gaetz withdraws his name for Attorney General shortly after resigning from Congress; Franciscan Health announces big changes for its Dyer, Indiana facility. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/34111586

S13 EP23 - I Will Always Look Back In Anger (feat. Kaitlyn Croker) 11/19/2024

S13 EP23 - I Will Always Look Back In Anger (feat. Kaitlyn Croker) Tom returns from his trip to Hawaii; Tom sounds off on the presidential election and where it all went wrong for Democrats; Tom embraces the incoming Trump administration when it comes to a looming EPA mandate for Hammond, Indiana; guest Nashville artist Kaitlyn Croker performs her song “You’re the Hero”. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/33996227

S13 EP22 - Smells Like My Nana’s Window Sill (feat. Phil Taillon and John Cantrell) 11/15/2024

S13 EP22 - Smells Like My Nana’s Window Sill (feat. Phil Taillon and John Cantrell) Phil Taillon and John Cantrell fill in for Tom and Kevin; Cantrell discusses the outcome of one of his recent trials; Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight tonight; Elon Musk gets sued for his $1M giveaways during the election; Steve stops by and hosts a game between Phil and Cantrell where the two try and guess some rather unique soda flavors. /episode/index/show/leftofcenter/id/33946622

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