Never let a crisis go to waste.

Via Politico 44:

President Obama weighed in Friday on the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, calling it a national tragedy — and saying that it reminded him of his own children.

“When I think about this boy, I think about my own kids,” Obama said in Rose Garden remarks. “And I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this. And that everybody pull together.”

Obama has come under fire from some black leaders for failing to wade into a case that has become a major national story — and brought thousands of Americans into the streets for demonstrations calling for the arrest of Martin’s shooter.

“But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said. “All of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves.”

“Obviously this is a tragedy. I can only imagine what these parents are going through,” Obama said. “All of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how something like this has happened.”