How is giving Goldman people government positions buying them if not by giving them the power to set rules as they like? It's not like they are in it for the cushy gov't benefits.
I am saying the causality here is backwards (I think). It is not the case that Goldman did something for Trump so now he has to make these appointments. It is that he is giving them these appointments so they return the favor in the future. I think he is doing this for future business needs after he is done being president, but I am sure it could be any number of other reasons.
These corporations are huge, with many many employees (over 30 thousand just at Goldman Sachs).
Just because you used to work for Goldman in the past, does not mean you are a current and future supporter of Goldman.
Nor does it mean that you are a bad person.
Trump is hiring people that know how these companies work from the inside-out. Which is the exact type of person you need to be able to deal with these companies head-on.
Tom Wheeler had been a telecom CEO and lobbyist prior to running the FCC. He turned out OK, solidly reining in the industry he had worked for. He knew what to watch out for, and didn't need to rely on lobbyists to explain things to him.
So it works. Integrity and patriotism matter of course. Diversifying investments prior to taking office would help reduce temptation.
