Note 9 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Accretion of premium receivable	$ 0.3	$ 0.4	$ 0.5	$ 0.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized During Third Quarter Following Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	428.3		428.3
Amortization of Unearned Premium			9.8
Accretion of premium receivable			0.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			10.1
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized During Fourth Quarter Following Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	417.8		417.8
Amortization of Unearned Premium			10.5
Accretion of premium receivable			0.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			10.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized During Current Year [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	417.8		417.8
Amortization of Unearned Premium			20.3
Accretion of premium receivable			0.6
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			20.9
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than One and Within Two Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	381.8		381.8
Amortization of Unearned Premium			36.0
Accretion of premium receivable			1.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			37.1
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Two and Within Three Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	346.5		346.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium			35.3
Accretion of premium receivable			1.0
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			36.3
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Three and Within Four Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	312.9		312.9
Amortization of Unearned Premium			33.6
Accretion of premium receivable			0.9
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			34.5
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Four and Within Five Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	282.7		282.7
Amortization of Unearned Premium			30.2
Accretion of premium receivable			0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			31.0
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized Within Five Years [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	282.7		282.7
Amortization of Unearned Premium			155.4
Accretion of premium receivable			4.4
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			159.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Five and Within Ten Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	162.4		162.4
Amortization of Unearned Premium			120.3
Accretion of premium receivable			3.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			123.6
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Ten and Within Fifteen Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	80.9		80.9
Amortization of Unearned Premium			81.5
Accretion of premium receivable			2.2
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			83.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized more than Fifteen and Within Twenty Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	33.6		33.6
Amortization of Unearned Premium			47.3
Accretion of premium receivable			1.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			48.6
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized After Twenty Years From Balance Sheet Date [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	0		0
Amortization of Unearned Premium			33.6
Accretion of premium receivable			1.6
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			35.2
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Amortization of Unearned Premium			438.1
Accretion of premium receivable			12.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized			$ 450.9