Note 10 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 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	$ 254.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6.9
Accretion of premium receivable	0.2
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	7.1
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	227.3
Amortization of Unearned Premium	26.7
Accretion of premium receivable	0.9
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	27.6
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	203.5
Amortization of Unearned Premium	23.9
Accretion of premium receivable	0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	24.7
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	184.1
Amortization of Unearned Premium	19.4
Accretion of premium receivable	0.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	20.2
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	167.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	17.1
Accretion of premium receivable	0.7
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	17.8
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	167.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	94.0
Accretion of premium receivable	3.4
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	97.4
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	96.6
Amortization of Unearned Premium	70.4
Accretion of premium receivable	2.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	73.2
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	49.0
Amortization of Unearned Premium	47.5
Accretion of premium receivable	1.8
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	49.3
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	21.3
Amortization of Unearned Premium	27.7
Accretion of premium receivable	1.1
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	28.8
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	21.3
Accretion of premium receivable	1.3
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	22.6
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	260.9
Accretion of premium receivable	10.4
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 271.3