Note 9 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 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	$ 205,911
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6,516
Accretion of premium receivable	215
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	6,731
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	197,350
Amortization of Unearned Premium	8,561
Accretion of premium receivable	212
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	8,773
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	197,350
Amortization of Unearned Premium	15,077
Accretion of premium receivable	427
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	15,504
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	173,422
Amortization of Unearned Premium	23,928
Accretion of premium receivable	802
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	24,730
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	156,491
Amortization of Unearned Premium	16,931
Accretion of premium receivable	734
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	17,665
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	142,027
Amortization of Unearned Premium	14,464
Accretion of premium receivable	690
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	15,154
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	128,607
Amortization of Unearned Premium	13,420
Accretion of premium receivable	630
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	14,050
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	128,607
Amortization of Unearned Premium	83,820
Accretion of premium receivable	3,283
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	87,103
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	73,227
Amortization of Unearned Premium	55,379
Accretion of premium receivable	2,397
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	57,776
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	36,298
Amortization of Unearned Premium	36,929
Accretion of premium receivable	1,485
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	38,414
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	15,236
Amortization of Unearned Premium	21,062
Accretion of premium receivable	914
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	21,976
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	15,236
Accretion of premium receivable	1,057
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	16,293
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	212,426
Accretion of premium receivable	9,136
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 221,562