John Sununu (N.H.) Wednesday became the first Senate Republican to call on President Bush to fire Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

“The President should fire the Attorney General and replace him as soon as possible with someone who can provide strong, aggressive leadership prosecuting the war on terrorism, running the Department of Justice, and working with the President and Congress on important homeland security matters,” Sununu said in a statement.

The senator has often been critical of the Department of Justice under Gonzales and said earlier Wednesday that his confidence in the attorney general’s leadership was “weak to begin with.”

In order to fight terrorists at home and abroad effectively, Sununu argued that the country would need “a strong, credible Attorney General who holds the confidence of Congress and the American people.”

He added: “I do not believe Alberto Gonzales can fill that role.”