"That would be because he isn't in any way an embodiment of the US government."
Instead, he gets portrayed frequently enough as an embodiment of the "American spirit" or the US' "national character." That was my entire point. You could get the same sort of thing with a Chinese hero. Making the Chinese heroes government tools so they will have to reflect China's unheroic policies is a conscious choice. IF there's something suspect, that's where it starts.