This is pretty amazing. Steve Schmidt, a Karl Rove protege and respected, hardball GOP operative who was brought in last year to run John McCain's campaign is going to tell the GOP they need to just get it over with an get behind the movement to grant full marriage equality to same sex couples.

Former top McCain adviser Steve Schmidt is planning to use a Friday speech to the Log Cabin Republicans to urge the GOP to drop its opposition to same-sex marriage.

"I'm confident American public opinion will continue to move on the question toward majority support, and sooner or later the Republican Party will catch up to it," Schmidt plans to say according to excerpts provided to ABC News.

Schmidt's push for Republicans to endorse same-sex marriage comes as his party is grappling with a string of gay rights victories in Iowa, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

To be clear, in the speech, ABC reports that Schmidt will also make the argument for marriage equality on the merits. He's not simply saying it's necessary politically.