President Joe Biden announced plans to nominate former Chicago mayor and Obama-era chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Japan, the White House confirmed in a statement on Friday. In announcing the nomination, the White House lauded Emanuel’s many years of public service, including serving as former President Bill Clinton’s assistant for political affairs and senior advisor for policy and strategy. Rumors had long swirled about Emanuel’s nomination for the post, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki addressing the matter back in May. “I know there’s a lot of interest in this,” Psaki told reporters at a press briefing at the time, responding to a question about Emanuel’s potential candidacy for the post of ambassador to Japan and what expectations the administration has for someone serving in that function. Calling Japan an “important partner in the region, important partner in addressing stability and security …