ESTIMATED FAIR VALUES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Estimated Fair Values [Abstract]

Estimated Fair Values For Certain Financial Assets And Financial Liabilities

For all other financial assets and financial liabilities, the carrying value is a reasonable estimate of the fair value as of December 31, 2011 and 2010.

	December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Cash and due from banks	$	590,801	$	590,801	$	460,178	$	460,178
Overnight investments	434,975		434,975		398,390		398,390
Investment securities available for sale	4,056,423		4,056,423		4,510,076		4,510,076
Investment securities held to maturity	1,822		1,980		2,532		2,741
Loans held for sale	92,539		93,235		88,933		88,933
Loans covered by loss share agreements, net of allowance for loan and lease losses	2,272,891		2,236,343		1,956,205		1,946,423
Loans and leases not covered by loss share agreements, net of allowance for loan and lease losses	11,400,754		11,312,900		11,304,059		10,995,653
Receivable from FDIC for loss share agreements	539,511		537,297		623,261		624,785
Income earned not collected	42,216		42,216		83,644		83,644
Stock issued by:
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta	41,042		41,042		47,123		47,123
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco	12,976		12,976		15,490		15,490
Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle	4,490		4,490		4,490		4,490
Deposits	17,577,274		17,638,359		17,635,266		17,695,357
Short-term borrowings	615,222		615,222		546,597		546,597
Long-term obligations	687,599		719,999		809,949		826,501
Accrued interest payable	23,719		23,719		37,004		37,004
Interest rate swap	10,714		10,714		9,492		9,492

Assets And Liabilities Carried At Fair Value On A Recurring Basis

			Fair value measurements using:
Description	Fair value		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1 inputs)		Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities (Level 2 inputs)		Significant nonobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs)
December 31, 2011
Assets measured at fair value
Investment securities available for sale
U.S. Treasury	$	887,819	$	887,819	$	—	$	—
Government agency	2,592,209		2,592,209		—		—
Corporate bonds	252,820		252,820		—		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	307,221		—		307,221		—
Equity securities	15,313		15,313		—		—
State, county, municipal	1,041		—		1,041		—
Total	$	4,056,423	$	3,748,161	$	308,262	$	—
Liabilities measured at fair value
Interest rate swaps accounted for as cash flow hedges	$	10,714	$	—	$	10,714	$	—
December 31, 2010
Assets measured at fair value
Investment securities available for sale
U.S. Treasury	$	1,939,400	$	1,939,400	$	—	$	—
Government agency	1,919,986		1,919,986		—		—
Corporate bonds	486,658		486,658		—		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	143,545		—		143,545		—
Equity securities	19,231		19,231		—		—
State, county, municipal	1,256		—		1,256		—
Total	$	4,510,076	$	4,365,275	$	144,801	$	—
Liabilities measured at fair value
Interest rate swaps accounted for as cash flow hedges	$	9,492	$	—	$	9,492	$	—

Assets Measured On A Recurring Basis Using Significant Nonobservable Inputs

For those investment securities available for sale with fair values that are determined by reliance on significant nonobservable inputs, the following table identifies the factors causing the change in fair values for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010:

	Investment securities available for sale with fair values based on significant nonobservable inputs
Description	2011		2010
Balance, January 1	$	—	$	1,287
Total gains (losses), realized or unrealized:
Included in earnings	—		—
Included in other comprehensive income	—		—
Purchases, sales, issuances and settlements, net	—		—
Transfers in/out of Level 3	—		(1,287		)
Balance, December 31	$	—	$	—

Assets And Liabilities Carried At Fair Value On A Nonrecurring Basis

For assets and liabilities carried at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, the following table provides fair value information as of December 31, 2011 and 2010:

			Fair value measurements using:
Description	Fair value		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities (Level 1 inputs)		Quoted prices for similar  assets and liabilities (Level 2 inputs)		Significant nonobservable  inputs (Level 3 inputs)
December 31, 2011
Loans held for sale	$	63,470	$	—	$	63,470	$	—
Impaired loans:
Not covered by loss share agreements	128,365				—		128,365
December 31, 2010
Loans held for sale	88,933		—		88,933		—
Impaired loans:
Not covered by loss share agreements	89,500		—		—		89,500

Schedule of Fair Value Measurements Of Other Real Estate Opportunites

The following table provides information regarding OREO for 2011 and 2010.

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010
Current year foreclosures:
Covered under loss share agreements	$	128,178	$	116,590
Not covered under loss share agreements	38,612		40,328
Loan charge-offs recorded due to the measurement and initial recognition of OREO:
Covered under loss share agreements	14,846		62,327
Not covered under loss share agreements	51,136		14,220
Write-downs recorded subsequent to foreclosure for OREO:
Covered under loss share agreements	19,994		9,185
Not covered under loss share agreements	7,486		7,099
Fair value of OREO remeasured in current year:
Covered under loss share agreements	30,008		34,849
Not covered under loss share agreements	14,905		15,069