He proposed firing the head of the NSA, Keith Alexander, as the solution.

Because in politics changing the leaders at the top is always the solution (that the public is sold) to fixing the large broken systems beneath it.

Not that Keith Alexander should retain his job though... It's just not a comprehensive solution to the problem.

It is if the problem is to get the public to STFU and forget. Which it usually is, to people of McCain and Alexander's ilk.

And by the way firing Alexander would be almost liking giving a cop paid vacation for shooting someone. He was going to retire in a few months anyway, and if he was to be fired he would almost certainly retain his very, very good military retirement.

And then he'll work as a do-nothing name on the masthead consultant at some private equity or think tank.

You can't have actual oversight of your employees if they are actively lying to you. Therefore, you should fire employees that lie to you.