AP FACT CHECK: Eye-popping claims about Sanders

WASHINGTON (AP) — How can it be that Bernie Sanders could stand on the side of vigilantes on the border, against the auto industry bailout, against an immigration overhaul that would have eased the plight of people in the country illegally?

Hillary Clinton took full advantage of that in the latest Democratic debate, pointing out votes by her opponent that are eye-raising on the surface while brushing off complexities that help explain them.

"The money that rescued the auto industry was in that bill," which she chided Sanders for voting against.

When legislation came up separately that proposed explicit support for the auto industry, both voted for it.

[...] in January 2009, shortly before Barack Obama became president, lawmakers tried to block the release of a second phase of the package approved earlier for the Wall Street rescue.

In 2006, as a member of the House running for the Senate, Sanders voted for an obscure and largely symbolic amendment that sought to prohibit Washington from giving information to foreign governments about the activities of a civilian group operating along the border.

[...] some hard-liners against immigration were concerned that U.S. officials were tipping off the Mexican government about movements of the civilian Minuteman group that was patrolling the border for people crossing illegally.

What Sanders did not make clear, though, was that his position also reflected concerns of labor unions that the temporary workers would drive down wages and cost Americans jobs.

[...] her own department warned its employees against the use of private email to conduct government business because it could compromise classified materials and be subject to hacking.

EDITOR'S NOTE _ A look at political claims that take shortcuts with the facts or don't tell the full story