I live in California, the San Diego area, and I am neither a politician nor in law enforcement, but had no difficulty obtaining a concealed carry permit, for cause, back in 1977, nor in having it renewed every two years since then. And, of course, Dianne Feinstein IS in politics, and very prominent at that, so, by your own argument, Oldexpat, she might have been expected to get a CCP quite easily.