MILITARY . . . CLINTON COZIES UP TO PENTAGON

President Clinton, who's been hammered by Republicans of late over military readiness, announced today that he's seeking an additional $25 billion for defense over the next six years. He also said he'd ask Congress for anemergency increase in this year's defense budgetto pay for unscheduled deployments to Haiti and Kuwait -- the chief reasons cited by military brass in acknowledging an eroding preparedness. The package is designed to go in tandem with his decision last month to bolster the "quality of life" for military families, including a 2 percent pay raise. Far from making Pentagon coffers flush,TIME Defense correspondent Mark Thompsonpoints out, Clinton's new move simply takes a bite out of a projected $40 billion budget shortfall. "It reduces the pain, but it does not add to the pleasure," Thompson says. "It's not buying the Pentagon anything. But plainly the President from the start has been on the defensive over defense. This is a way he can strengthen his flanks against that these attacks."