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, 2014
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	$ 175,331
Amortization of Unearned Premium	6,088
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	199
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	6,287
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	167,264
Amortization of Unearned Premium	8,066
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	193
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	8,259
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	162,654
Amortization of Unearned Premium	4,610
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	191
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	4,801
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	162,654
Amortization of Unearned Premium	18,764
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	583
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	19,347
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	146,423
Amortization of Unearned Premium	16,232
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	719
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	16,951
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	133,021
Amortization of Unearned Premium	13,402
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	657
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	14,059
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	120,746
Amortization of Unearned Premium	12,274
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	616
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	12,890
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	109,213
Amortization of Unearned Premium	11,533
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	562
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	12,095
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized Within Five Years [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	109,213
Amortization of Unearned Premium	72,205
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	3,137
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	75,342
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	61,574
Amortization of Unearned Premium	47,639
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	2,147
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	49,786
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	30,234
Amortization of Unearned Premium	31,341
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	1,369
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	32,710
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	12,735
Amortization of Unearned Premium	17,499
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	873
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	18,372
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	12,735
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	1,009
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	13,744
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Amortization of Unearned Premium	181,419
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	8,535
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 189,954