Left of Center Show
341 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 111 ratingsLong 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.
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Episodes
S6 EP11 - The 150th Episode
May 20, 2022 17:16 - 53 minutes - 72.8 MBLOCPOD’s 150th episode — Tom shares his latest travels around Indiana in his bid for US Senate; the LOCPOD crew discusses an abortion law that just passed in Oklahoma, the Taliban ordering women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public, Indiana’s gas tax going up despite record gas prices nationally and a massive state budget surplus, and more.
S6 EP10 - A Beacon Of Truth (feat. Colleen Brennan)
May 17, 2022 19:36 - 1 hour - 119 MBTom announces Rick Ross will perform at this year's Festival of the Lakes in Hammond, IN on July 16; for better or worse, Tom's Mailbag segment returns; comedian, writer, producer, and co-host of the Defending Indiana podcast Colleen Brennan stops by to talk with Tom and Kevin about stand-up, the Will Smith and Dave Chapelle incidents, growing up in Michigan City, and more.
S6 EP9 - Heart Of A Lion
May 13, 2022 20:33 - 1 hour - 96.4 MBJohn Cantrell and Phil Taillon fill in for Kevin, and along with Tom get into Roe v. Wade, protestors outside a local campaign fundraiser for Senator Todd Young, their thoughts on body cameras for police, whether or not Chesterton is part of The Region, and more.
S6 EP8 - Gesticulation A Game
May 10, 2022 21:23 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MBTom and Kevin discuss the news about a group of senators, including US Senator from Indiana Mike Braun, wanting TV ratings updated so that parents can know when programming includes LGBTQ characters; Tom and Kevin also discuss the fatal ending of the Alabama prison guard and escapee on the run that concluded in Indiana, whether or not IN Rep. Heath VanNatter (R) is a superfan of Tom on Twitter, Tom’s willingness to have up to 60 debates with his opponent Senator Todd Young, the latest pictur...
S6 EP7 - So Many Meatballs You’re Gonna Die (feat. Jenny Craig-Brown)
May 06, 2022 21:41 - 57 minutes - 78.4 MBTom discusses some of the articles he’s seen about his Senate race since becoming the Democratic nominee and fires off on Todd Young in the process; Tom and Kevin discuss the nearly 160 million dollars of investment just announced in Hammond; GreatNews.Life Executive Director Jenny Craig-Brown sits down with Tom and Kevin to discuss her role at the online publication juggernaut for strictly positive news, one of their upcoming events, her glitter shoes, and more.
S6 EP6 - Press The Flesh
May 03, 2022 15:30 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MBIt’s Election Day, and Tom and Kevin welcome guests Lake County Circuit Court Judge Marissa McDermott and IN State Rep. Mike Andrade to talk about their races, predictions, and more; the LOCPOD crew also discusses the news of a leaked document that suggests the Supreme Court will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade; LOCPOD favorite Elie Hernandez performs in the studio.
S6 EP5 - Ripe With Innuendo
April 29, 2022 14:57 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBThe locomotive is back and regales us with an update about his latest travels across Indiana in his campaign for US Senate; Tom also shares an entertaining story about the length of his hair during his Navy days and the uproar it caused among some of the upper ranks; the LOCPOD crew share their thoughts on the possibility of some form of student loan forgiveness from the Biden administration and US Senator from IN Mike Braun’s reaction to it.
S6 EP4 - Kegeling Isn’t Just For Women (feat. Dr. Michael Foreit)
April 26, 2022 20:52 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBIt’s Kevin’s birthday, and Dr. Michael Foreit is back, this time filling in for Tom; the group discusses Elon Musk buying Twitter and Trump’s response to the news, dangerous bike rides, Dr. Mike’s fortunate run-in with a Tai chi master, and much more.
S6 EP3 - The Puff Heard Around The World
April 22, 2022 21:54 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBTom calls in from the road and talks with Kevin and in-studio guest attorney John Cantrell about Tom’s viral 4/20 campaign ad; Kevin and John discuss Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard.
S6 EP2 - Stoner Christmas
April 19, 2022 20:06 - 1 hour - 83.7 MB4/20 is tomorrow, and Tom teases something big from his campaign for US Senate on the big day; Tom and Kevin discuss the news of a federal judge striking down the CDC’s mask mandate on planes and other mass transit; Tom shares that McDermott for Indiana raised $250,000 last quarter; Tom discusses his latest travels around the state as he campaigns to be Indiana’s next Senator.
S6 EP1 - The Shaft of Medicine (feat. Dr. Michael Foreit)
April 15, 2022 21:30 - 58 minutes - 79.7 MBThe season 6 premiere — Dr. Mike sits down with Tom and Kevin to share touching stories from his recent trip to the Ukraine border and why he believes what’s taking place is the biggest geopolitical crisis of his lifetime.
S5 EP21 - Season Five Finale
March 15, 2022 20:33 - 1 hour - 96.5 MBThe final episode of season five — Tom and Kevin discuss what they think America’s involvement should be as the Ukraine conflict draws on; there is one thing Tom doesn’t like about Game of Thrones; did Cristiano Ronaldo convince Tom Brady to play football again?
S5 EP20 - Take It To The Bank, Baby
March 11, 2022 20:33 - 1 hour - 88 MBPhil joins Tom and Kevin in the studio for conversations about sports, Senator Todd Young, a Navy ship not deploying because the commanding officer’s refusal to get the COVID vaccine, and more.
S5 EP19 - Two Excellent Guests (feat. Lt. Col. Michael Lee Lanning and Matt “Money” Smith)
March 08, 2022 22:01 - 58 minutes - 80.7 MBNFL Network personality, LA Chargers announcer, and “Petros And Money” show co-host Matt “Money” Smith talks with his brother Kevin and Tom about sports, LA, Mustangs, and more; Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Michael Lee Lanning, who has written over 30 non-fiction books, talks with Tom and Kevin about one of his newest books “The African-American Soldier”, the invasion of Ukraine, NATO, and more.
S5 EP18 - Have You Ever Scrammed A Nuclear Reactor?
March 04, 2022 21:46 - 1 hour - 89.7 MBTom starts off his birthday talking with Kevin about the State of the Union Address, Russia seizing control of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the latest with Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez, and more.
S5 EP17 - I’m A East Coast Catholic But A West Coast Rapper
March 01, 2022 21:18 - 1 hour - 91.4 MBThe LOCPOD crew discuss what they’re giving up for Lent; Tom shares his support for President Biden’s SCOTUS pick; IN AG Todd Rokita announces who he’s endorsing for Northwest Indiana’s Congressional seat; Tom and Kevin discuss the latest on Ukraine.
S5 EP16 - Tincture
February 25, 2022 21:28 - 1 hour - 85.6 MBTom and Kevin discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an Indy Star article mentioning LOCPOD, and more; Gabe Mendoza, EVP of Operations for Mission Dispensaries, talks with Tom and Kevin about all things marijuana.
S5 EP15 - It Spans The Latitudes
February 22, 2022 21:28 - 1 hour - 92.6 MBTom and Kevin are back in the studio; the pair along with attorney Scott Yahne discuss their recent visit to the IN Election Commission that saw Scott successfully challenge two of Tom’s U.S. Senate opponents who failed to gather enough signatures to remain on the ballot and Tom win a challenge of his own.
S5 EP14 - Where Are Tom And Kevin?
February 18, 2022 19:10 - 1 hour - 84.1 MBBrett McDermott, Phil, and Steve fill in for Tom and Kevin; the group discuss why the locomotive and caboose aren’t on the pod today and give us an exclusive look at Tom’s freshly shaved head by two-year old Max who is battling childhood cancer; 219 Day is tomorrow; Phil revives his “LOC of the Week” for March Madness; Steve and Phil put a decades old bet to rest.
S5 EP13 - Wine And Xanax (feat. Tommy DeCarlo Singer of Boston)
February 15, 2022 22:04 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBTom needed a little help falling asleep last night; Tom and Kevin discuss what’s going on in Canada; Tommy DeCarlo talks with Tom and Kevin about music, what it’s like singing in the band Boston, his upcoming show in Hammond, and more.
S5 EP12 - Drunk Words With Sober Thoughts
February 11, 2022 21:51 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBJill didn’t get anyone a LOCPOD hoodie except Tom; Tom’s apology segment this time around is a lengthy one; Tom is sick of Wordle; Tom starts a GoFundMe for a young boy fighting a rare cancer; the LOCPOD crew talks about what’s going on with Joe Rogan.
S5 EP11 - Luscious Cake (feat. Judge Marissa McDermott)
February 08, 2022 22:36 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBTom doesn’t hold back when sharing his feelings about Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez’s indictment; Tom and Kevin discuss Mike Pence’s recent speech disagreeing with former President Trump about January 6th; Lake County Circuit Court Judge Marissa McDermott stops by and discusses the county court system, what it’s like living with Tom, reveals she has an opponent in her upcoming re-election campaign, and more.
S5 EP10 - Operator Error
February 04, 2022 22:25 - 1 hour - 87.3 MBThe LOCPOD crew debates who should park in the garage, the husband or the wife; Mayor Tom and his opponents file to run for US Senate but not everyone reached the number of signatures required; Tom and Kevin discuss a campaign email from Todd Young that refers to Tom as a “radical leftist”, Senator Young refusing to answer a question from a reporter of a veterans website, the latest in local politics, IN AG Todd Rokita visiting the Mexican border, and more.
S5 EP9 - Constitution Day
February 01, 2022 21:53 - 1 hour - 95.9 MBTom announces that he has enough signatures from voters across Indiana to file for US Senate; Tom and Kevin discuss some of Trump’s latest comments at a Texas rally, including potentially pardoning the January 6th protestors if he became President again; John plays Wordle for the first time on the podcast.
S5 EP8 - Nasal Rages
January 28, 2022 20:39 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBTom has a theory as to why everyone around him is sick but he’s not; the deadline for Tom to garner enough signatures to get on the ballot for US Senate is drawing nigh; Aaron McDermott stops by and regales a family COVID story you have to hear to believe.
S5 EP7 - Birds Aren’t Real
January 25, 2022 18:05 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBMatt Reardon joins Tom and Kevin in the studio; Tom says he has a Twitter stalker — IN State Rep. Heath VanNatter; the LOCPOD crew discuss President Biden calling a reporter a “stupid SOB”, Congressman Frank Mrvan’s “clerical error” that resulted in news outlets listing him as a multimillionaire, the Birds Aren’t Real conspiracy theory, and more.
S5 EP6 - Your Check Is In The Bush
January 21, 2022 18:20 - 57 minutes - 79 MBTom discusses banning trolls from his personal social media pages; Frank Mrvan makes Insider’s list of the top 25 wealthiest members of Congress; Hammond, IN Councilman Dave Woerpel stops by to discuss his new book, how many people he saw naked when he was a mailman, and more.
S5 EP5 - Building Bridges And Loving People (feat. Michael Leppert)
January 18, 2022 21:32 - 59 minutes - 81.1 MBTom almost returns to Jalapeños restaurant but instead is reminded of why he stopped eating there; Tom shares a clip he saw on TikTok of a Sheriff in a different county getting pulled over by a fellow police officer; author, columnist, and Indiana University professor Michael Leppert talks with Tom and Kevin about politics, his new book “Flipping The Circle”, and more.
S5 EP4 - Patting Myself On The Back (feat. Destiny Scott Wells)
January 16, 2022 17:43 - 1 hour - 86.6 MBTom’s political prediction on the podcast in October 2021 comes true with the news that former LaPorte, IN Republican Mayor Blair Milo will run against Rep. Frank Mrvan in Indiana’s 1st congressional district; both Tom and Kevin get listed in Howey’s “Power 50”; Destiny Scott Wells talks with Tom and Kevin about her campaign for Indiana Secretary of State.
S5 EP3 - Deep Complex Problems
January 11, 2022 22:04 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBPhil Taillon joins the LOCPOD crew in the studio and the group talks about Tom almost running out of gas, Indiana Republican State Senator Scott Baldwin’s controversial remarks about teaching Nazism and fascism in the classroom, Ted Cruz’s back-and-forth on describing the events of January 6th, and more.
S5 EP2 - You Can’t Retweet My Words (feat. Ryan Mears)
January 07, 2022 17:08 - 56 minutes - 77.2 MBTom, Kevin, and guest Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears discuss the indictment of Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez, marijuana, red flag laws, and more.
S5 EP1 - I Saw Your Nut Rolls Everywhere
January 04, 2022 22:34 - 1 hour - 85.5 MBThe season 5 premiere — the LOCPOD crew talks about what they did over the holiday break; it’s Jill and Steve’s birthday; Mayor Tom issues a mask mandate in city buildings; Tom gives an update on his travels around Indiana in his bid for US Senate.
S4 EP25 - Season Four Finale
November 23, 2021 22:36 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBSeason four comes to an end — Tom and Kevin discuss why a recent mistake makes Tom a good senate candidate; Mayor Tom issues two new executive orders related to the COVID vaccine; Tom gives a final update on the person he knows in California with a terminal illness who chose assisted suicide; the LOCPOD crew discuss their favorite episodes of season four.
S4 EP24 - Dep Prep
November 19, 2021 21:47 - 1 hour - 90.4 MBTom and Kevin reveal that Speros Batistatos, former head of the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, has filed a Notice of Tort Claim against Tom, the Hammond City Council, the entire SSCVA board, and more; Tom asks the rest of the LOCPOD crew and livestream audience to help him interpret a recurring dream he’s been having; Tom gives an update on his latest campaign travels.
S4 EP23 - I Call It A Bridge
November 16, 2021 22:21 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MBWoke culture, Indiana Democratic Party taking a stance on legalizing marijuana, Tom discusses knowing someone close who has chosen assisted suicide in California after a long fight with a terminal illness, IN Senator Braun’s major FEC violations, and more on this latest LOCPOD episode.
S4 EP22 - Joe Hogsett In The House
November 12, 2021 22:21 - 58 minutes - 80.9 MBIndianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett joins Tom and Kevin in the studio, and the three talk Joe’s political future, Tom’s Senate campaign, police funding, the American Rescue Plan and Infrastructure Bill, and more.
S4 EP21 - Comcast Sucks
November 09, 2021 21:45 - 1 hour - 90.7 MBA Comcast outage forces Tom and Kevin to record the latest LOCPOD episode without a livestream audience. The pair discuss seeing Senator Todd Young at a Notre Dame football game over the weekend, the passing of the Infrastructure Bill, the Astroworld tragedy, and more.
S4 EP20 - Episode 420
November 05, 2021 21:38 - 55 minutes - 76.2 MBTom reveals that he smoked marijuana recently while attending two Grateful Dead concerts at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
S4 EP19 - They Can’t Hear You
November 02, 2021 17:33 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBByway Brewing co-founder Dave Toth joins Tom and Kevin in the studio to talk about the future of brewing and more; Tom remembers Fr. David T. Link, Dean of Notre Dame Law School who recently passed; Jill is back after a trip to Scotland; Tom shares some of his quotes from a recent news article about Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and some of Chicago’s police officers.
S4 EP18 - Who Doesn’t Like Cherry Delight? Communists.
October 29, 2021 14:19 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBAn Instagram model poses for a photo shoot next to her dad’s casket; Tom's campaign for US Senate hires staffers Arielle Brandy and Joe Shepherd; Tom and Kevin share their latest campaign travel stories; the time Tom got sick from Taco Bell while in front of thousands of people; Tom, Kevin, and John react to the possibility of IN requiring school board candidates' party affiliation to appear on the ballot.
S4 EP17 - Mayor Tom’s Political Prediction
October 26, 2021 21:23 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MBAs Tom discovers some gerrymandering in Indiana’s 1st congressional district, a new LOCPOD segment is born; Tom and Kevin discuss Tom Brady’s 600th touchdown pass along, the abysmal state of the Chicago Bears, the latest on the Alec Baldwin incident, an update on Tom’s travels as he campaigns across Indiana for US Senate, and more.
S4 EP16 - Tom’s Principled Life
October 22, 2021 21:08 - 1 hour - 91.9 MBThe LOCPOD crew reacts to the news of Alec Baldwin accidentally and fatally shooting someone and the remains of Brian Laundrie being found; John’s upset with Tom over something; Hammond, Indiana Chief of Police Andy Short talks with Tom and Kevin about the fight taking place between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and some of Chicago’s police officers over the vaccine mandate, and more.
S4 EP15 - I’m Just Gonna Keep Talking, Baby
October 19, 2021 22:35 - 1 hour - 88.5 MBTom and Kevin discuss the passing of Colin Powell, the latest on Tom’s senate run, submarine news, teen tics as a result of TikTok, and more.
S3 EP14 - Suck Helium (feat. Matt “Money” Smith)
October 15, 2021 20:08 - 1 hour - 89.7 MBPhil fills in for Tom, and they talk sports with NFL Network’s Matt “Money” Smith; the LOCPOD crew and live audience weigh in on whether or not “mercy rules” should exist in sports; Phil and John give a lackluster review of the new James Bond movie “No Time To Die”; the LOCPOD crew participates in a new segment called “TikTok Challenge” where, for better or worse, they show each other the first five TikToks on their phones; Kevin made it through his first colonoscopy.
S4 EP13 - F*ckadelic
October 12, 2021 14:24 - 1 hour - 85.8 MBFounder of Region News Source Paul Goddard sits down with Tom and Kevin to discuss the inception and rise of RNS, his biggest stories, including a captivating story about how he narrowly escaped becoming a victim of serial killer David Maust, and more.
S4 EP12 - Senators Should Have To Listen To Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side Of The Moon”
October 08, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBThe LOCPOD crew is back with a wide-ranging show – update on Mayor Tom’s travels around IN as he campaigns for US Senate, including his speech to fellow mayors in French Lick; Tom and Kevin discuss some recent news, including IN state senator Dennis Kruse’s battle with COVID and standing by his decision to not take the vaccine, Indy Star’s in depth write-up about Tom, and more; Mark Anderson, the artist who designed Tom’s boxing glove logo, stops by with his take on if a downstate councilman...
S4 EP11 - “Best” Of? Vol. 2
October 08, 2021 04:41 - 56 minutes - 78 MBKevin almost getting into a fight at a Steely Dan concert, Kevin’s COVID-19 quarantine call-in, the podcast after January 6th, a mail-order lobster drug ring, Tom’s got something to say about LOCPOD live viewership and the new Cline Avenue toll bridge, Tom’s first triathlon, and more – Tom and Kevin share some of their favorite LOCPOD moments after 100+ episodes.
S4 EP10 - Hot Mustard
October 02, 2021 01:12 - 56 minutes - 77.9 MBMayor Tom’s apology and mailbag segments return; Tom’s first fundraiser for US Senate took place last night; update on the US Steel spill in Lake Michigan; the LOCPOD crew reacts to the news that Britney Spears is finally free and the nudes she immediately posted on Instagram.
S4 EP9 - The N-Bomb
September 28, 2021 20:21 - 58 minutes - 79.7 MBTom discusses hearing the n-word from someone recently and his reaction to it; who was knocking at Tom’s door so early in the morning recently; Tom’s boxing glove campaign logo is ripped off by a councilman downstate; Tom shares some good and bad reactions from close acquaintances about his decision to run for US Senate; the LOCPOD crew reacts to the news of a U.S. Steel spill in Lake Michigan.
S4 EP8 - Till Death Do Us Part
September 24, 2021 17:02 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBTom is back and talks about where the beginning of his campaign for US Senate has taken him around the state so far and meeting his first political tracker; the LOCPOD group considers Tom’s rule of thumb when it comes to how long one should wait before dating after the death of a spouse; Tom weighs in on a submarine deal making waves between the US, France, and Australia; Tom talks about his latest COVID-related executive order and asked John how he feels about it.