WHAT WERE THOSE two subjects we're not supposed to talk about?

Oh yeah. Religion and politics.

Does Mitt Romney know about this?

The latest controversy involving the Mormon Who Would Be President involves an invitation to Romney from Regent University, in Virginia Beach, Va., to deliver the school's commencement address in May.

Steven G. Vegh, a reporter for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper, wrote in an article last Friday that not everyone is happy with the invite.

Some in the Regent U. family think Romney, who belongs to a church considered non-Christian by most evangelicals, should be the last person to speak at graduation at a school founded by arch-evangelical Pat Robertson.

Think Michael Moore speaking at Utah Valley State College.

But unlike UVSC, where students and faculty openly protested hosting the liberal filmmaker in 2004, criticisms at Regent are mostly behind closed doors, according to Vegh.

"This isn't the kind of school where you find student protests and rallies," said Vegh when I talked to him on the phone. "The few people I've actually spoken to personally who are students or alumni or employees of the university have said, 'Look, I can tell you what's going on, but for goodness sake, don't put my name on it."'

Added Vegh: "I think the very fact that there is a debate at all and that it's reached a point where a newspaper guy finds out about it is unusual for that school."

One alum slipped Vegh a copy of a memo sent from Pat Robertson to students, staff and alumni defending Romney's appearance.

"Gov. Romney is running for the post of Chief Executive Officer, not Chief Theologian," Robertson wrote.

With the school's founder behind him, that should at least mean Romney won't get his car towed.

More Romney support came from Charles Dunn, a Regent dean, who wrote an editorial this week for The Providence (R.I.) Journal, drawing parallels between Romney and John F. Kennedy.

"Can Romney do for Mormons what Kennedy did for Catholics? Will history repeat itself?" writes Dunn. "To do so, Romney must negate America's anti-Mormon prejudice, especially among evangelical Christians. Some parallels suggest that he could."

Dunn notes that Romney, like Kennedy, had his way paved by a famous father, is charismatic, has a charming wife, is family-oriented and has a well-funded campaign.

Finally, Dunn notes how Kennedy used the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference in Houston in 1960 to "address the anti-Catholic issue head-on" — a "best defense is a good offense" tactic Romney might be well advised to emulate.

"In 1960, Democrats needed a winner, and Catholics wanted to break the anti-Catholic barrier," Dunn's article concludes. "In 2008, Republicans need a winner, and Mormons want to break the anti-Mormon barrier. History could repeat itself."

And what better place to start than Regent U. in May?

That ought to further stir up the natives.

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Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.