“If he were to be a little more constructive in the dialogue, then he could have a role. But this is somebody who could be a very valuable asset to the party and to our nominee but right now, he’s not acting that way,” the member said.

Another Republican legislator said, “He’s the kid that kicked everybody else off the monkey bars and nobody wants to play with him. I think he really risks any role — not just in the convention, but in the next administration.” This member pointed out that Gingrich only won two states: South Carolina and his home state of Georgia.

A separate GOP lawmaker who stayed out of the Republican presidential primary noted that Gingrich lost a lot of respect from fellow lawmakers when he “whined” about being attacked by Mitt Romney and the media, and shouldn’t be rewarded for that behavior.

“For those of us that know Newt, I think in the big picture he did not help himself. When you are involved in politics and campaigns, don’t get in and say, ‘I’m being attacked, unfairly! Boo hoo.’ I think a lot of us were going, ‘Come on … that doesn’t show a lot of political maturity.’ That turned a lot of people off — you’re in the big game —buck up! Slug back but don’t whine about it,” the veteran lawmaker said in an interview with The Hill.