Note 9 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013
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	$ 220,786
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6,742
Accretion of premium receivable	226
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	6,968
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	214,181
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6,605
Accretion of premium receivable	220
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	6,825
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Third Rolling Quarter [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	205,534
Amortization of Unearned Premium	8,647
Accretion of premium receivable	217
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	8,864
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	205,534
Amortization of Unearned Premium	21,994
Accretion of premium receivable	663
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	22,657
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	183,168
Amortization of Unearned Premium	22,366
Accretion of premium receivable	821
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	23,187
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	165,724
Amortization of Unearned Premium	17,444
Accretion of premium receivable	752
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	18,196
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	150,560
Amortization of Unearned Premium	15,164
Accretion of premium receivable	707
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	15,871
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	136,441
Amortization of Unearned Premium	14,119
Accretion of premium receivable	647
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	14,766
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	136,441
Amortization of Unearned Premium	91,087
Accretion of premium receivable	3,590
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	94,677
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	78,216
Amortization of Unearned Premium	58,225
Accretion of premium receivable	2,467
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	60,692
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	39,420
Amortization of Unearned Premium	38,796
Accretion of premium receivable	1,535
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	40,331
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	17,320
Amortization of Unearned Premium	22,100
Accretion of premium receivable	950
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	23,050
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	17,320
Accretion of premium receivable	1,099
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	18,419
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	227,528
Accretion of premium receivable	9,641
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 237,169