Topeka ? U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Lawrence, and Democratic challenger Nancy Boyda of Topeka clashed today over a host of issues from health insurance to education to Social Security during a wide-ranging debate.

The two are vying to represent the 2nd Congressional District, which includes most of western Lawrence.

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At one point during the question and answer session from listeners on KMAJ 1440-AM, the two candidates got into a heated exchange over Ryun’s role in fighting against Pentagon efforts to increase regulations against private insurers on military bases.

Boyda mentioned that Ryun was excused from serving in the military during the Vietnam War because he was “4-F,” which means the military rejected Ryun for physical reasons.

Ryun shot back “This is getting personal.”

Ryun, who was an Olympic runner as a young man, said he was drafted and reported for his physical. He said he was not accepted because of hearing loss he had suffered as a child.

Later, Boyda apologized for bringing up Ryun’s military deferment, but continued to pound Ryun on the issue of life insurance sales on military bases.

Reports of unscrupulous insurance and financial services sales to unsuspecting soldiers prompted the Pentagon to propose tougher regulations, but Ryun and two other members of the House Armed Services Committee fought those efforts.

Ryun had said salesmen using improper sales tactics could be prohibited from selling under existing regulations.

On health insurance, Ryun said he supported the use of health savings accounts where consumers make tax-deductible contributions to special savings accounts. Boyda said health savings accounts would do little to help the 280,000 Kansans who are uninsured.

On education, Ryun said he believed the federal government was providing enough money to the states, but Boyda said the federal No Child Left Behind law was hurting schools more than helping them.

On Social Security, Boyda said she opposed any proposal to privatize the system, while Ryun said he was studying various proposals, including allowing workers to set up personal savings accounts. Boyda said that was just another way of saying he supported privatization.

The two also clashed on assault weapons and school vouchers.

Ryun said he opposed the ban on assault weapons, which recently expired. Boyda said she supported it.

On vouchers, Ryun said he opposed using tax dollars for vouchers to go to private schools but Boyda said Ryun made votes in Congress supporting such proposals.