It is not that the professionals refuse to consider supply-side ideas; rather, they have looked at them and found them wanting.

There is no question in my mind that we never could have overcome the stagflation of the 1970s as quickly or with as little pain as we did without the supply-side idea.

In the long run, the outlook is bright for supply-side ideas, Daniel J. Mitchell, an economist at the Heritage Foundation, said.

We should look carefully at economic assumptions before we declare the demise of the supply-side idea.

Mr. Malabre writes, "the supply-side idea is really hokum."

"He is giving at least lip service to supply-side ideas but surrounding himself with people who disagree with them."

"I've known Steve for 20 years," said Jude Wanniski, a former Wall Street Journal editorial writer and an early popularizer of 'supply-side' ideas.

But many supply-side ideas and precepts survive, notably in Mr. Bush's insistence that he will impose "no new taxes," lest that hobble growth.

So why does the supply-side idea keep on resurfacing?

Until recently he was openly contemptuous of the supply-side ideas he now espouses.