One Too Many?

Bavarian Premier Guenther Beckstein apparently doesn't know when enough is enough, say critics outraged by his remark that it's perfectly acceptable to drive after drinking a pair of liter-sized mugs of beer (a total of just over four pints).

Beckstein, who's battling to retain an absolute majority for Bavaria's staunchly traditional and conservative Christian Social Union in elections on Sept. 28, made his comment at an election rally in a beer tent. He later added in a radio interview that the two liters should be imbibed over a space of several hours but this did not lessen the ire of, for example, the German government's commissioner on drugs, Sabine Baetzing.

She lost no time in pointing out that two liters of beer are more than three times the amount recommended by the WHO.

"Beckstein had probably drunk one too many," she added.

Comments at a critical time for the CSU

While it is out of the question that Beckstein's CSU will lose the election in less than two weeks' time, the party does face the very real prospect of scoring less than 50 percent of the vote for the first time since the 1960s.

The CSU is the sister party of chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and a poor result in Bavaria would be particularly unwelcome ahead of national elections scheduled for September 2009.

Alcohol limit for beer tent appearances?

Criticism of the veteran CSU politician has also come from Theresa Schopper, the head of the opposition Greens in Bavaria.

She said Beckstein should think about introducing a legal alcohol limit for beer tent appearances.

"That would sharpen judgment and help to avoid talking nonsense," she said.

Beckstein himself is attempting to downplay his controversial comments. But there can be no denying, he's handed his critics plenty of ammunition on a plate, or should that be in a mug?