ESTIMATED FAIR VALUES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

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, 2012, and 2011.

Estimated fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities are provided in the following table.

	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Cash and due from banks	$	639,730	$	639,730	$	590,801	$	590,801
Overnight investments	443,180		443,180		434,975		434,975
Investment securities available for sale	5,226,228		5,226,228		4,056,423		4,056,423
Investment securities held to maturity	1,342		1,448		1,822		1,980
Loans held for sale	86,333		87,654		92,539		93,235
Loans covered under loss share agreements, net of allowance for loan and lease losses	1,669,263		1,635,878		2,272,891		2,236,343
Loans and leases not covered under loss share agreements, net of allowance for loan and lease losses	11,397,069		11,238,597		11,400,754		11,312,900
Receivable from FDIC for loss share agreements	270,192		100,161		617,377		526,252
Income earned not collected	47,666		47,666		42,216		42,216
Stock issued by:
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta	36,139		36,139		41,042		41,042
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco	10,107		10,107		12,976		12,976
Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle	4,410		4,410		4,490		4,490
Securities issued under the TARP program	40,768		40,793		—		—
Deposits	18,086,025		18,126,893		17,577,274		17,638,359
Short-term borrowings	568,505		568,505		615,222		615,222
Long-term obligations	444,921		472,642		687,599		719,999
Payable to FDIC for loss share agreements	101,641		125,065		77,866		90,070
Accrued interest payable	9,353		9,353		23,719		23,719
Interest rate swap	10,398		10,398		10,714		10,714

Assets And Liabilities Carried At Fair Value On A Recurring Basis

For assets and liabilities carried at fair value on a recurring basis, the following table provides fair value information as of December 31, 2012, and 2011:

			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, 2012
Assets measured at fair value
Investment securities available for sale:
U.S. Treasury	$	823,632	$	823,632	$	—	$	—
Government agency	3,055,204		3,055,204		—		—
Corporate bonds	820		820		—		—
Residential mortgage-backed securities	1,329,657		—		1,329,657		—
Equity securities	16,365		16,365		—		—
State, county, municipal	550		—		550		—
Total	$	5,226,228	$	3,896,021	$	1,330,207	$	—
Liabilities measured at fair value
Interest rate swaps accounted for as cash flow hedges	$	10,398	$	—	$	10,398	$	—
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	$	—

Assets Measured On A Recurring Basis Using Significant Nonobservable Inputs

The following table provides additional information regarding OREO for 2012 and 2011.

	Covered			Not covered			Total
Balance at January 1, 2011	$	112,748		$	52,842		$	165,590
Acquired in FDIC-assisted transactions	36,303			—			36,303
Additions	138,280			38,612			176,892
Sales	(118,738		)	(33,569		)	(152,307		)
Writedowns	(19,994		)	(7,486		)	(27,480		)
Balance at December 31, 2011	148,599			50,399			198,998
Additions	105,059			35,586			140,645
Sales	(124,435		)	(33,564		)	(157,999		)
Writedowns	(26,646		)	(8,908		)	(35,554		)
Balance at December 31, 2012	$	102,577		$	43,513		$	146,090

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, 2012, and 2011:

			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, 2012
Loans held for sale	$	65,244	$	—	$	65,244	$	—
Impaired loans not covered by loss share agreements	51,644		—		—		51,644
Other real estate owned not covered by loss share agreements	21,113		—		—		21,113
December 31, 2011
Loans held for sale	63,470		—		63,470		—
Impaired loans not covered by loss share agreements	128,365		—		—		128,365
Other real estate owned not covered by loss share agreements	14,905		—		—		14,905

Schedule of Fair Value Measurements Of Other Real Estate Opportunites

The following table provides additional information regarding OREO for 2012 and 2011.

	Covered			Not covered			Total
Balance at January 1, 2011	$	112,748		$	52,842		$	165,590
Acquired in FDIC-assisted transactions	36,303			—			36,303
Additions	138,280			38,612			176,892
Sales	(118,738		)	(33,569		)	(152,307		)
Writedowns	(19,994		)	(7,486		)	(27,480		)
Balance at December 31, 2011	148,599			50,399			198,998
Additions	105,059			35,586			140,645
Sales	(124,435		)	(33,564		)	(157,999		)
Writedowns	(26,646		)	(8,908		)	(35,554		)
Balance at December 31, 2012	$	102,577		$	43,513		$	146,090