Fred:

Actually, I think that classifying Pluto as a Kuiper Belt object increases the importance of New Horizon's visit thereto. :-)

On the IAU vote, I absolutely agree that what was involved was only an issue of the definition of what does the official term "planet" mean, or, more specifically, what characterizes a body that is to be given this label.

Actually, I was pulling for a version that preceded the final designation. Of course that one would have significantly increased the number of "planets" in our solar system. (I would then pity the poor future grade schoolers that would have to memorize all the planets' names, and how the number of such would almost certainly increase over time. I suppose one could consider the present situation to be merciful to future generations.)

David