New Father Names Baby After Republican Ticket

New Father Names Baby After Republican Ticket

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What’s in a name? Politics, if you ask proud new father Mark Ciptak of Elizabethton, Tenn.

Some people distribute bumper stickers, some post campaign signs and others donate cash to support their favorite candidates.

Ciptak had another idea – sparked by the birth Friday of his baby girl.

“I don’t have a million dollars,” Ciptak said.

So he chose to endorse his favorite candidates for president and vice president by naming his daughter after the Republican ticket.

“I decided to actually name her Sarah McCain Palin,” he said. “I’m totally McCain all the way.”

A blood bank employee for the American Red Cross, Ciptak said he chose the name to show his support and to encourage others to vote.

But Sarah McCain Palin is not the name Ciptak and his wife, Layla, originally agreed upon.

“I sort of secretively went behind her back and changed the paperwork,” Ciptak said.

Ava Grace was the name originally chosen by the couple.

Fueled by his new idea, Ciptak caused a distraction and some confusion at the hospital by using two separate birth certificate forms.

“With the stress of everything going on, she, I guess, didn’t realize that a new form was printed with my handwriting because my handwriting is very noticeable, very unique,” he said of his wife.

Ciptak said he had no regrets at the time.

“The very next day, though, I did feel bad, my conscience set in,” he said.

Although the stroke of conscience failed to override his decision, he did admit to one concession.

“I was actually gonna name the baby John McCain, even as the girl, but I thought that was maybe too overboard,” he said. “I decided to actually name her Sarah McCain Palin, figuring hopefully I would get two weeks in the doghouse rather than two months.”

In the event the family decides to overrule the father, they’ll have one year to file an affidavit requesting the name change, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records.

KELLY CALES is a multimedia intern who can be reached at .

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Reader Reactions

Flag Comment Posted by dloudy on October 15, 2008 at 12:04 pm

This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.  This poor kid is now scarred for life.  Talk about doing stupid things to garner some attention…..

Flag Comment Posted by traysea on October 15, 2008 at 10:34 am

This guy is an idiot. He lied to his wife…..with no regret. I don’t blame Layla for not talking to the press, he made her out to look like a moron.

The wife should stand up to this jerk and change the name back to Ava Grace.
If he wants to support his candidate, he needs to go to the local Republican office and volunteer.

If Obama wins she will be named after a couple of losers!
Has he thought about her future?? NO, he wanted his 15 minutes of fame.

People wonder why the rest of the country think we are a munch of uneducated inbred redneck hicks. This week we can thank Mr. Mark Ceptik.

Flag Comment Posted by hermiones mom on October 15, 2008 at 10:11 am

So. Did you see the Katie Couric interview with Sarah Palin? Did you see the VP Debate? Why didn’t you just name your daughter “Not Very Intelligent Female Who has Hilary Clinton to Thank Everything For?“

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