Note 9 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Schedule of Significant Components Of Change In Financial Guaranty Claim Liability (Details) (Financial Guaranty Segment [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Financial Guaranty Segment [Member]
Claim liability at beginning of period	$ 70,800,000	$ 119,300,000	$ 67,400,000	$ 121,800,000
Increase in gross claim liability	15,000,000	1,700,000	56,700,000	75,600,000
Increase in gross potential recoveries	(50,700,000)	(7,300,000)	(83,900,000)	(53,200,000)
Decrease (increase) in discount	8,400,000	4,800,000	2,600,000	(2,300,000)
Decrease (increase) in unearned premiums	300,000	(2,700,000)	4,300,000	(700,000)
Incurred losses and LAE	(27,000,000)	(3,500,000)	(20,300,000)	19,400,000
Paid losses and LAE	(2,300,000)	(31,500,000)	(5,600,000)	(56,900,000)
Claim liability at end of period	41,500,000	84,300,000	41,500,000	84,300,000
Components of incurred losses and LAE [Abstract]
Claim liability established in current period	1,000,000	1,100,000	1,000,000	2,300,000
Changes in existing claim liabilities	(28,000,000)	(4,600,000)	(21,300,000)	17,100,000
Total incurred losses and LAE	(27,000,000)	(3,500,000)	(20,300,000)	19,400,000
Components of increase in discount [Abstract]
Decrease (increase) in discount related to claim liabilities established in current period	1,200,000	(2,100,000)	1,100,000	(4,400,000)
Decrease (increase) in discount related to existing claim liabilites	7,200,000	6,900,000	1,500,000	2,100,000
Total decrease (increase) in discount	$ 8,400,000	$ 4,800,000	$ 2,600,000	$ (2,300,000)