By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon appeared on NBC's "Today" show with Matt Lauer earlier this week to talk about her Connecticut Senate candidacy. The following are highlights of McMahon's mainstream interview that was intended to create more visibility for McMahon's campaign.

-- McMahon frustrated Lauer early in the interview when she dodged an initial question on her reaction to current Senator Chris Dodd's resignation, which was big news in politics this week. She then dodged a follow-up question, then gave a two-word answer on a second follow-up when Lauer pursued an answer.

-- McMahon said she's not taking money from special interest groups and funding her campaign with "money she earned." Laurer followed up by asking her to respond to criticism that she doesn't have political experience to run for a Senate position. McMahon responded with a canned response shifting the focus away from her lack of political experience.

"I respond to that by saying I bring to that 30 years of business experience. I'm not a career politician. The citizens of Connecticut want someone from outside the political arena with real-life experience. I've grown a business (WWE) from a small, entrepreneurial business to a global company traded on the New York Stock Exchange."

Caldwell's Analysis: McMahon is a pro at how to work a four-minute interview - she knows there isn't time to dive into a serious discussion in a "soundbyte interview," which allows her to essentially stay conservative in her positions and views, refrain from saying anything a p.r. manager would have to clean up after the fact, and simply get her face on national TV. The interview is below.

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