Getting the boot
"Now Pluto gets the boot. Big deal! "
In itself - no deal at all.
However - it is only the last clause of the IAU planet definition that bars Pluto from planetary status.
"cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit"
Earth hasn't done this. The existance of Pluto itself dictates that Neptune hasn't done this, and SL9 serves to remind us all that Jupiter has not either. That takes us down to no more than 5 planets.
Remove that un-necessary, fuzzy, undefinable clause, and you have a planetary definition that is simple (if it's round and goes around the Sun..it's a planet )
Doug