Note 10 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Next Rolling Quarter [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	$ 265.2
Amortization of Unearned Premium	8.6
Accretion of premium receivable	0.2
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	8.8
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Second Rolling Quarter [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	259.2
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6.0
Accretion of premium receivable	0.2
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	6.2
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Remainder of Fiscal Year [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	259.2
Amortization of Unearned Premium	14.6
Accretion of premium receivable	0.4
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	15.0
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	233.9
Amortization of Unearned Premium	25.3
Accretion of premium receivable	0.9
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	26.2
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	209.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium	24.4
Accretion of premium receivable	0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	25.2
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	189.6
Amortization of Unearned Premium	19.9
Accretion of premium receivable	0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	20.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	172.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	17.6
Accretion of premium receivable	0.7
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	18.3
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Within Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	172.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	101.8
Accretion of premium receivable	3.6
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	105.4
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Premium Receivable, Premium Expected to be Collected, Year Six Through Ten [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	99.6
Amortization of Unearned Premium	72.4
Accretion of premium receivable	2.7
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	75.1
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year 11 Through 15 [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	50.8
Amortization of Unearned Premium	48.8
Accretion of premium receivable	1.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	50.6
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year 16 Through 20 [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	22.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium	28.3
Accretion of premium receivable	1.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	29.4
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Greater than 20 Years [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	22.5
Accretion of premium receivable	1.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	23.8
Total Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenue to be Recognized [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	273.8
Accretion of premium receivable	10.5
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 284.3