"The head of the Congregation of Bishops is a very important nomination; it determines the ruling class of the Catholic Church for the next 20 years," said Andrea Tornielli, a Vatican expert with the Italian daily newspaper Il Giornale.
McConnell argued Wednesday on the Senate floor that lawmakers not on the Judiciary Committee should "have a week to evaluate this important nomination".
The Republicans once again hid behind a cloture vote, a filibuster by another term, to prevent a simple up-or-down vote on this important nomination.
"This unprecedented process appears to be designed intentionally by Republicans to deny the Senate and the American people the information they need to evaluate this critically important nomination," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y). said in a statement on Thursday.
A spokeswoman for the White House, Anne Womack, added: "There are a number of very important nominations that have been waiting a long time for confirmation.
"I thank both of them for their willingness to move forward with these important nominations".
In Iowa, New Hampshire and other states that have an important stake in the nomination process, most primary voters say they are a long way from deciding whom they will support.
It is pleasing to see that it is identified as an important issue to which Nomination Committees should pay closer attention" says David Styles, Director Corporate Governance at the UK's corporate governance watchdog, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC).
Charles Pickering of Mississippi, whose nomination for an important federal judgeship was wisely rejected once, is scheduled to be voted on again tomorrow in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Pawlenty, a former governor of Minnesota whose bid for the Republican presidential nomination faces an important test this week at the Iowa Straw Poll, talked about his campaign during a casual question-and-answer session over breakfast.
