Note 10 - Financial Guaranty Insurance Contracts Future Premium Revenues For Financial Guaranty Contracts (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 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	$ 163,413
Amortization of Unearned Premium	7,959
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	193
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	8,152
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	158,908
Amortization of Unearned Premium	4,505
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	191
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	4,696
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	158,908
Amortization of Unearned Premium	12,464
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	384
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	12,848
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Two [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	143,082
Amortization of Unearned Premium	15,826
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	719
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	16,545
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Three [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	129,579
Amortization of Unearned Premium	13,503
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	657
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	14,160
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Four [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	117,700
Amortization of Unearned Premium	11,878
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	617
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	12,495
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts, Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized, Year Five [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Unearned premiums	106,535
Amortization of Unearned Premium	11,166
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	562
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	11,728
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	106,535
Amortization of Unearned Premium	64,837
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	2,939
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	67,776
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	60,317
Amortization of Unearned Premium	46,218
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	2,148
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	48,366
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	29,858
Amortization of Unearned Premium	30,459
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	1,368
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	31,827
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	12,701
Amortization of Unearned Premium	17,157
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	872
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	18,029
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	12,701
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	1,009
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	13,710
Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts Future Expected Premium Revenue to be Recognized [Member]
Future Premium Revenue To Be Recognized [Line Items]
Amortization of Unearned Premium	171,372
Accretion of Premium Receivable and Unearned Premium	8,336
Total Premium Revenue to be recognized	$ 179,708