Note 12 - Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

	2012		2011		2010
	(In thousands)
Current:
Federal	$	44,263	$	26,548	$	16,496
State		17,081		10,905		7,379
	$	61,344	$	37,453	$	23,875
Deferred:
Federal		3,755		10,133		(28,600	)
State		1,029		3,675		(9,904	)
	$	4,784	$	13,808	$	(38,504	)
Total income tax expense/(benefit	$	66,128	$	51,261	$	(14,629	)

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

Deferred Tax Assets
Loan loss allowance, due to differences in computation of bad debts	$	100,774		$	109,686
Write-down on equity securities		3,374			3,609
Stock option compensation expense		16,120			16,048
State tax		4,479			3,744
Non-accrual interest		3,208			2,048
Write-down on other real estate owned		10,302			14,148
Accural for litigation		2,415			-
Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps		-			1,097
Unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale, net		-			6,311
Other, net		3,544			3,536
Gross deferred tax assets		144,216			160,227
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Core deposit intangibles		(1,632	)		(3,919	)
Investment in aircraft financing trust and venture capital partnerships		(19,684	)		(21,628	)
Unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale, net		(338	)		-
Dividends on Federal Home Loan Bank common stock		(3,071	)		(2,788	)
Other, net		(5,084	)		(5,646	)
Gross deferred tax liabilities		(29,809	)		(33,981	)
Valuation allowance		(2,125	)		(2,533	)
Net deferred tax assets	$	112,282		$	123,713

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	2012					2011					2010
	(In thousands)
Tax provision at Federal statutory rate	$	64,248		35.0	%	$	52,994		35.0	%	$	(1,072	)	35.0	%
State income taxes, net of Federal income tax benefit		11,772		6.4			9,477		6.3			(1,641	)	53.5
Interest on obligations of state and political subdivisions, which are exempt from Federal taxation		(1,456	)	(0.8	)		(1,476	)	(1.0	)		(299	)	9.8
Low income housing and other tax credits		(9,353	)	(5.1	)		(10,087	)	(6.6	)		(11,220	)	366.2
Other, net		917		0.5			353		0.2			(397	)	13.0
Total income tax expense/(benefit)	$	66,128		36.0	%	$	51,261		33.9	%	$	(14,629	)	477.5	%