McCurry Takes Over as Clinton Press Aide : White House: Former State Department official begins his new job on a comic note. He is known as an experienced, knowledgeable spokesman.

WASHINGTON —  Michael D. McCurry assumed his post as President Clinton’s press secretary Thursday and immediately demonstrated that he has the comedic skills necessary to work one of the toughest rooms in the world.

McCurry cracked up reporters in the White House briefing room by saying that the workaholic Clinton had promised him “at least one conjugal visit a month” with his wife, Debra.

But, gesturing to his mortified wife, who is pregnant with their third child, McCurry added: “We won’t need one for a while, as you can tell.”

McCurry moved over from the State Department, where he won plaudits for knowledgeable and good-natured duty as principal spokesman for Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

He replaces Valencia native Dee Dee Myers, who left the White House at the end of the year after a tenure marked by decent relations with reporters but a lack of access and clout within the Administration.

McCurry, 40, said he has been promised frequent contact with the President and full access to all White House meetings, including the key 7:30 a.m. staff meeting.

McCurry’s appointment was one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington, having been rumored as early as last September when Myers first hinted that she would be leaving in December. A White House aide confirmed the appointment just before Christmas, but the official announcement was delayed in hopes that McCurry’s new job could be presented with a number of other Administration appointments.

But Clinton has not yet decided who will fill such jobs as White House political director, chairman of the National Economic Council, chairman of the Democratic National Committee and secretary to the Cabinet. So McCurry took the stage alone.

Clinton introduced his new flak-catcher with a brief statement, saying that he had “done a very fine job representing our Administration at the Department of State since I took office. He has dealt with a wide range of very sensitive, complicated and difficult issues and he has done it very well.”

McCurry said he has three goals in his new position: to better communicate Clinton’s accomplishments and his proposals, to improve relations between the White House and the press corps and to have fun.

He said that in his conversations with White House staff and reporters, “I don’t detect a high degree of happiness. . . . Working here ought to be a joyful experience and not endless drudgery.”

Chief of Staff Leon E. Panetta joked that if McCurry succeeds in his three goals, “you’ll also become chief of staff.”

McCurry cited as his models two former White House press secretaries--Marlin Fitzwater, spokesman for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and Jody Powell, who worked for President Jimmy Carter.

The new White House spokesman is one of the most experienced Democratic mouthpieces in Washington, having worked for several senators, the Democratic National Committee and three unsuccessful presidential candidates.

“I’ve worked for a very long list of losers in my time,” he chuckled, and then, prompted by a reporter, added: “It’s nice to work for winner now, yes.”