Jan Brewer Healthy, Opponent Gay? 

Arizona governor Jan Brewer's campaign manager has lashed out at reports suggesting she is in failing health, saying the rumor mill is ridiculous and pointing to rumors that her opponent in the gubernatorial election, Arizona attorney general Terry Goddard, is gay.

Brewer's campaign manager, Chuck Coughlin, responded Tuesday to a post on Facebook by former New Times reporter John Dougherty, who wrote that he had heard rumors Brewer is ill and might not be able to complete a four-year term.

"The latest rumormongering about Governor Brewer is about as relevant as an 20 year old AZSCAM transcript," Coughlin wrote. "Questions are raised and the media pursuit legitimizes a topic no matter how irrelevant. In no way is anyone suggesting that there is a problem with being gay, but it has a common lack of relevance to this race for Governor as the unfounded rumors being perpetuated by Goddard and his democrat operatives."

He apologized Wednesday to people "who were offended by our blog post yesterday" -- but not before Goddard told Brewer during Tuesday's debate in Tuscon to fire Coughlin.

"You got to get rid of Chuck," Goddard said. "I think Jan Brewer should be ashamed of having her campaign manager, and therefore her campaign, involved in trying to change the subject so blatantly, trying to get off of talking about what matters to Arizona."

Rumors of Brewer's failing health started after her shaky performance during her opening statement in a televised debate last month.