Rick Perry is getting a lot of Internet play today for manfully admitting to the Associated Press that he used a laser-sighted pistol with hollow-point bullets to kill a coyote that was threatening his dog while he was out jogging.

Take that, dog predator. You should have known our governor never jogs without a solid piece of shooting iron.

Taking out a coyote with space-age technology is pretty good -- Kay Bailey Hutchison would have probably just hit it with a binder -- but how does it stack up with other political animal-killin'?

Let's examine.

Jimmy Carter and the Killer Rabbit

By 1979, Jimmy Carter had already alienated much of America with his whiny self-righteousness and prim demeanor. As he geared up for a re-election campaign, his desperate fight to the death -- with a rabbit -- didn't help his image.

Carter said he beat back the attacking rabbit with a paddle, although he later changed that story when animal advocates complained, saying he'd merely used the paddle to splash water on the fearsome creature.

Advantage: Perry. Unless Carter used a laser-sighted paddle, and history is unclear on that question.

George W. Bush, Poacher

"I thought it was a dove," Bush told reporters.

It would mark the only time anyone died in relation to George W. Bush and bad intelligence, fortunately. We think.

Advantage: Perry. There was some initial belief Perry might have violated the law by discharging a firearm within Austin city limits, but his spokesman said shooting to protect his dog makes it all A-OK.

Teddy Roosevelt: Not to be Messed With